Hate Turned Love
by iluv13
Summary: Kohana was an orphaned civilian, befriended and cared for by Obito Uchiha. Unable to forgive Kakashi for his lack of judgment during the Kannabi Bridge Mission, she vows to distance herself from him despite the tragedies they shared. However, can she ignore the change in Kakashi and overcome her feelings of hate? Read to find out! Kakashi x OC.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Cold Hearted Bastard

Kohana whispered, her voice broken, "I thought that you would have learned something after all these years."

Kakashi hung his head, heavy with guilt, as he forced himself to listen to her.

Kohana continued, easily dismissing Kakashi's defeated appearance. "But, I should have known better that people like you are not worthy of remorse."

Her eyes slowly filled with tears, as she fought to keep her voice strong, determined to convey her message to the boy before her.

"You never understood him. You never saw just how much stronger he was than you. You treated him like trash, insulting him with every word, every gesture."

Kakashi's forehead furrowed as he struggled to hold back his own tears.

Kohana started to shout, hoping that this intensity would mask the tremors in her voice.

"You bastard! You absolute bastard!"

Rin, who along with Minato, witnessing the conversation, had gasped. Minato stepped in, hoping to stop Kohana before she went too far.

"Kohana, that's enough."

The black haired girl ignored him, piercing Kakashi with steely eyes, "I wish you had died instead, because the world doesn't need scum like you."

"Kohana!", Rin voiced, her expression pained. "He came back for us."

Kohana had turned away from Kakashi, her resolve finally breaking, as she sobbed. She pushed past the brown haired girl, not wanting to hear anymore excuses. To her, Kakashi was nothing more than a cold-hearted bastard.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Mission Received

The Hokage's office door burst open, instantly revealing a flash of yellow and orange as Naruto Uzumaki dashed to face Tsunade.

His eyes were indignant, as he feverishly complained, "Baa-chan! Let me, Sakura and Sai join Kakashi sensei's mission too!"

Tsunade's eye twitched, "Naruto, baka!"

Naruto frowned, his face angry, "You have to let us go! Sai mentioned something about Orochimaru's hideouts. Sasuke might be there!"

Tsunade sighed, as Jiraya, who had just perched himself on the window sill chuckled, "Say Naruto. How do you hear about these missions when Tsunade tries so hard to keep them from you?"

"That would be my fault Hokage-sama." Naruto turned around to see Sai, standing next to Sakura who wore an irritated expression.

Tsunade rubbed her forehead, while Shizune chuckled nervously waiting for the explosion.

To all their surprise, Tsunade smiled, "Well, Naruto. I was debating whether to add Team Kakashi to this mission."

Naruto grinned, "Yosh! Dattebayo!"

Sakura added, "What's the mission Tsunade-shisou?"

The Hokage regarded her seriously. "As all of you know," she began, throwing a stern look at Sai, "You will be infiltrating one of Orochimaru's hideouts. Kakashi already knows the full details; join him at the front gates in half hour."

Jiraya hopped down onto the floor and approached Naruto, laying a hand firmly on his shoulder. He looked at Naruto seriously before saying, "Naruto, do not go off on your own. I've received news about this hideout and it is unlikely that Sasuke is there."

Naruto frowned, his eyes downcast, before murmuring, "Hai Ero-senin." Then he suddenly grinned, "Well, we will find something that will lead us to Sasuke! Come on Sai, Sakura- chan!"

He then dashed out of the room, waving a frantic goodbye to the three adults behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Captured Civilian

The wind blew the leaves across the ground as Kakashi briskly made his way to the gates. The Hokage had undoubtedly handed him a rather difficult mission. The mission scroll, which he held securely in his left hand, held information that both angered him and worried him.

It would be much harder than he thought. Tsunade had asked him if he wished to refuse the mission, but he felt obligated to save her. After all, she left because of him and now she would have to come back for him.

Sakura was facing the yellow path before her, trying her best to not let her thoughts wander towards Sasuke. She smiled bitterly as she inevitably thought of her childhood crush and how easily he had left all of them behind. But, she didn't know what it meant to lose a family; she was fortunate enough to have two loving parents.

Sakura jumped slightly when she felt a pat on her head and slowly turned around to see her sensei's closed eye smile.

"What are you thinking about Sakura?"

Sakura smiled back, "Nothing Kakashi sensei. Are we ready?"

Kakashi nodded, beckoning a finger towards Naruto and Sai, who were bickering with one another.

"Sai, Naruto. We'll be changing our formation. Sai, you will lead us while I'll take up the end. Naruto you will stay behind Sai and in front of Sakura."

The three shinobi stepped into position while listening to Kakashi.

"How much has Tsunade-sama told you about this mission?"

Sakura answered, "Just that we are infiltrating Orochimaru's hideout."

Kakashi nodded, "He has recently kept captive a young Leaf civilian, who left Konoha several years ago with the Third's permission. She was living in a nearby town a couple hundred miles away. Our mission is to bring her back to Konoha."

Naruto growled, "Orochimaru, that bastard."

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, "We are to avoid fights Naruto. Her life takes priority."

Naruto nodded seriously, "Hai Kakashi sensei."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Late

It had been two days since they commenced and had yet to reach the hideout. They were traveling in silence, each consumed by their own thoughts.

Suddenly, Sai spoke, "We are not too far from his lair. I would say we would reach in another thirty minutes. I think it's best if we stop to take a break and formulate a plan."

Kakashi agreed, "Mina! The plan is simple. If we can get to her as quietly as possible, all the better. Sai, Sakura, both of you proceed ahead and find her cell. Naruto and I will follow behind."

They finally reached the boulder that signaled the entrance to Orochimaru's bode. Sakura sneaked a glance at Naruto's face, which shone with furious determination. Sakura pushed the boulder to the side and she and Sai set off down the stone steps.

Kakashi followed and after a quick shake of his head, Naruto did too. It wasn't hard to find the entrance to the prisoner's ward. However, the lack of Orochimaru's henchmen made everyone much more aware of their surroundings. They halted to a stop when a silver door decorated with metal bars suddenly flew open, revealing an unconscious girl, surrounded by a pool of dark blood.

They were much too late.

A menacing voice laughed behind them; Naruto whirled around to face its source, growling, "Kabuto!".

Kabuto continued laughing, "Are you here to save her Hatake-san? I'm afraid you didn't make it in time."

Naruto flipped and ran towards the silver haired ninja, forming Kage-Bunshin to close in on all sides.

Kakashi shouted, "Sai, back Naruto up. Sakura, come with me. She needs your attention."

Sakura quickly felt for a pulse before exclaiming, "She's alive, but she's been poisoned and its spreading rapidly!"

Kakashi saw the blue patches of her skin on her arms and legs and quickly picked her up in his arms. Making sure she was secure, he bolted out of the room, with Sakura following behind.

Once they reached the clearing of the forest, he placed her behind a secluded corner and let Sakura tend to her.

"Sakura, please save her.", he said in a serious voice.

Sakura looked up at him in alarm, but firmly nodded, "Hai Sensei. I will, but you need to get back to Naruto and Sai!"

Sai and Naruto were faring well in their battle, but Kakashi stopped them. He explained in a calm voice, "if you beat him any further, he won't be able to talk. We need information."

Naruto protested loudly, but Kakashi ignored him, while activating his Sharingan causing Kabuto to convulse in pain on the stone floor.

Kakashi questioned him, "What did you want with her? How long have you been experimenting with her?"

Kabuto merely laughed maniacally, "So, you've noticed how low her Chakra levels are Sharingan Kakashi. I have to say, her chakra is special, especially considering she's nothing more than a civilian."

He continued, "Her healing ability is remarkable. Her entire body itself is a life force. How foolish the Sandaime was to let her go, but now Orochimaru-sama has another power that the Third never dreamed of."

Kakashi considered him before asking, "Why have you been poisoning her?"

The four eyed shinobi scoffed, "I've stored enough chakra that she is no longer useful for us. The poison spreads rapidly, and unfortunately for you, she will succumb to death long before you can save here. Even with your skilled medic, I am afraid you will have to say goodbye Kakashi- san."

Naruto growled, stepping on his throat, "If she dies, I will personally kill you. Dattebayo!"

Kabuto pushed Naruto away, before jumping up.

"Good luck then, Naruto-kun", he smirked before disappearing in thin air.

Naruto shouted, "Where did he go?!"

Kakashi sighed, "Never mind Naruto. Let's go, Sai."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Back Home

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, everyone! I wanted to thank all of those who have been reading this story. Also, a very special thanks to the two followers! I would really appreciate if you can please leave reviews behind! Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

When they reached Sakura, all three of them had to cover their ears to the loud screams issuing from Kohana's mouth. Her legs were thrashing, and Kakashi rushed forward to stabilize her head.

Sakura barked, "Naruto, Sai, hold her legs!"

Naruto gasped at the level of injury. Sakura was profusely sweating, but was slowly extracting the blue poison from her major veins and arteries. After several hours, the screaming subdued to quick painful gasps. As Sakura withdrew her final needle, Kohana fell unconscious muttering the words that sounded like a thanks.

Sakura smiled softly, and wiped her forehead.

"Kakashi- sensei", Sakura stated, "She should be alright, though we will need to have her admitted to the hospital."

Kakashi smiled, "Arigatou Sakura. You did well."

Naruto grinned, "Just what I would expect from you Sakura chan!"

Sai smiled softly, before adding, "I am glad she is safe Kakashi- senpai."

Two weeks had passed and Kohana had still not woken up. Sakura had taken over her case. She was inspecting her vitals when Kohana began to fidget. It took several minutes for her to open them, and when she did, she closed them immediately, disliking the bright light. Sakura cursed herself for not dimming them and went to close the shutters.

After Kohana sensed it was a bit darker, she ventured to try again. She found herself staring at the pink haired girl. She just blinked and softly greeted her to which Sakura smiled back and launched into an explanation.

Kohana winced at the part about her torture and tightly shut her eyes to rid herself of the painful images. She was immensely grateful to the team that had saved her.

She winced at a sharp pain in her abdomen and glanced at Sakura.

"You've been poisoned. I admit I was very lucky to save you. Another few minutes, and I may not have been able to. This will take several weeks to recover; until then, you will be in our care", Sakura finished with a bright grin.

Kohana nodded, "Arigatou."

Just then, the door burst open and Kohana saw Naruto and Sai, each holding a bouquet of flowers and a fruit basket.

Naruto greeted exuberantly, "Ohayo Sakura chan!"

Sakura looked at the two visitors in surprise, "Naruto, Sai! What are you both doing here?"

Sai cleared his throat, holding up a book in his left hand. "I've read that when someone is hurt and hospitilizaed, it's kind to visit them with some fruits and flowers."

Kohana blushed, "Arigatou…Sai-san."

Naruto jumped in front of her, "Oshiete, Oshiete! What's your name?"

"Kohana."

"It's nice to meet you Kohana-chan! I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I am going to be Hokage!", Naruto replied proudly, referring to himself with his thumb.

Kohana stammered, "Ho-hokage?"

Sakura laughed, "Of course, Kohana chan. You're in Konoha!"

Kohana felt her mouth go dry. She stammered, "Konoha?"

"Hai, Kohana", a cheerful voice answered.

Kohana cricked her neck as she turned too fast towards the door. Her face paled as she recognized the unmistakable silver hair and mask of Kakashi Hatake.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Getting Along

She stared at him speechless. She realized that she never really appreciated the number of years that had passed since she last saw him. He had definitely grown into a handsome personality.

Kakashi then addressed his three students, "We haven't trained together for a while. Why don't all three of you meet me on the Ground 7 in 15?"

They all nodded and scurried out through the door, offering hurried "get well soon", and "goodbyes".

Kohana continued to stare at Kakashi.

He chuckled, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

She didn't reply.

"You must have a lot of questions."

This statement jolted her out of her stupor. Her voice came out much colder than she expected, "Why are you here?"

"I was the Jonin in charge of your rescue mission."

"You…you saved me?"

Kakashi scratched his head, "Well, it was a team effort."

Silence pursued for a few minutes before Kohana spoke.

"When can I get out of here?"

"That's for the Hokage to decide. I think you will be happy to know that you will see many familiar faces around here. After all, you did spend a lot of time with them."

Kohana scoffed, "Familiar faces."

Kakashi turned to leave, not wishing to antagonize her. His voice was much more serious when he spoke, "Kohana, I realize our past never left us on good terms. But, as we are both here and since the possibility of you returning to the village is minimal, we will need to at least get along."

"Then, maybe it's best _Hatake-san_ if you tried your hardest to convince the Hokage to send me back. I think that has a greater possibility than me ever _getting along_ with _you._ "

Kakashi sighed, and softly closed the door behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Village

The next day, Kohana found herself staring at a rather busty woman, whom she immediately recognized as Tsunade Senju, one of the Legendary Sannin. Behind her stood the two elders, a black haired woman whom she did not know, and Kakashi. Her eyes easily passed over him and focused on the blonde woman before her.

"Kohana", the Hokage greeted.

Kohana nodded, "Tsunade-sama."

The Hokage's eyes grew serious, "What happened, Kohana?"

The girl's eyes went downcast. "Everything was unexpected. As you know, the village was small and peaceful, located far from Shinobi land. Then, starting from a year ago, strange disappearances occurred. Small children and young fathers went missing. It was horrible – families were torn apart. But, the disappearances were too strategic and they always seemed due to natural causes, occurring only when there were inclement weather conditions. We never thought anything of it."

She paused, clenching her eyes shut. "I should have known and I should have been more vigilant. But, storms were not uncommon there. Then, suddenly few weeks ago, we were attacked. We stood no chance; I didn't expect to live. Orochimaru's henchmen had destroyed every household ruthlessly. I took several small children with me and hid in a dilapidated building, but…"

At this point, Kohana was gasping for air, sobs racking her small figure.

Kakashi stepped forward to stop the interrogation, but Tsunade held her hands up.

"Let her finish, Kakashi.", she said softly.

Kohana took a deep breath and continued, "They mur-murdered them in front of me. They then told me they were going to take me as hostage, and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was with Kabuto."

She looked up at the Hokage with frightened eyes, "I – I don't understand, Tsunade-sama. I'm just a normal civilian, and I should have died."

Tsunade looked at her sadly, and decided to end her questioning. But, Koharu stepped forward, her eyes shrewd. "Girl, tell me what happened at Orochimaru's hideout."

The Hokage hissed, "Now, that's enough! Let her rest."

The elder shook her head, "We need to know Tsunade-hime. The more intel we have on Orochimaru, the better. This girl has had access to his secrets and lived to tell the tale. We are fortunate to have her."

Kakashi frowned, "If you want intel, then send me out. There's no need to force her to relive that."

"It's not becoming of you to be so sympathetic, Hatake-san. Perhaps, you have forgotten that I have the power to override the Hokage's decision."

Koharu then looked at the girl and ordered her, "Tell us."

Kohana scrunched her forehead, her voice small, but defiant, "I was unconscious for most of it. He tortured me and injected me several times. I felt weak, tired, as if he was draining me of my Chakra. I asked him so many times, but he wouldn't tell me anything. I didn't see anyone and was kept alone in a cell."

Koharu sighed, "I see. Come on Homura, let us go." The two elders left the room and Kohana stared at them with disbelief. She muttered, "I never liked them."

Tsunade sighed, "Never mind them. I'll deal with it. Kohana, Kabuto poisoned you repeatedly and your body is still recovering from that. Your muscle movement will be limited for some time; I will assign someone to help you with physical therapy."

Kohana nodded in understanding.

The Hokage looked back towards Kakashi, "Kakashi. I need to have a word with you."

The shinobi nodded, "Hai. I'll meet you outside." He then bid Kohana a silent goodbye and departed.

"She must not know about her Chakra, Kakashi. It's best to keep her in the dark."

Kakashi nodded, "Hai. I'll inform Naruto, Sakura and Sai as well."

"Good. I also want you to keep an eye on her."

Kakashi hesitated, "Do you think I would be the best one for the job?"

Tsunade smiled, "Hai. I trust you to keep her safe."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Frustration

Kakashi sat, fully hidden, on a sturdy tree branch, his favorite book in his hand, as he faced Kohana's window. He had been looking after Kohana as instructed by the Hokage. Despite sometimes feeling bored of watching Kohana eat and sleep, he preferred this mission to the arduous ones he was usually assigned. Moreover, he had a chance to observe Kohana without feeling as if he were invading her space; he could blame Tsuande for having seen some of Kohana's private moments.

Kohana slowly gained control over her upper body muscles thanks to two kind nurses who oversaw her physical therapy. However, her legs remained stiff with limited mobility. During her sessions, she often stumbled and almost collapsed to the floor several times. This task was extremely maddening for her; she was so used to being independent that the sudden reliance on others made her feel like a burden.

Kakashi knew that when she thought no one was looking, she would succumb to childish tears and fling her pillow across the room. She would then crawl on the floor to retrieve the battered pillow, not wanting to explain to the nurses as to how it ended up from her bed to the ground. Yet, her frustration was nothing compared to the anxiety and fear she experienced in her recurring nightmares, during which she moaned and thrashed around in her covers.

Kakashi simply watched these episodes unable to do anything more. He was too familiar with her personality; he understood that comforting her when she was so vulnerable with her emotions would only result in a one-sided shouting match. He did not expect her to cry on his shoulder especially when she point blank told him to get lost the other day. But, today would be different and to both their surprise, Kakashi and Kohana would end up in each other's company.

It was morning and most of Konoha had not risen. Kohana wistfully looked at the bright sunny sky that shone over the village. How long had it been since she stepped outside? After five years of being away, she just wanted to roam around in her childhood home. A small smile adorned her lips as she reminisced over her younger days in Konoha. Her reverie was broken when her room door opened and Sakura walked in, holding her breakfast tray.

"Ohayo, Kohana-chan! I've got your breakfast", the prodigious medic sang, her pink hair slightly swaying.

"Arigatou, Sakura-chan. How are you today?"

Sakura smiled, "I'm great! And I would say you're doing well too. The nurses have been telling me about your therapy sessions."

Kohana pouted, "Really. I feel the exact opposite." She glanced through her window again, "It's so beautiful outside."

Sakura smiled gently, correctly guessing her thoughts. "I know it's frustrating."

Kohana asked, "Do you know when I'm scheduled for therapy today?"

Sakura checked her timetable. "Ah, it seems that the nurses taking care of you are doing night shifts this weekend. I'll check if someone else would be available, but it's not a bad idea to take a break."

"But, I feel fine", Kohana protested. "I'm not tired or anything. Please, Sakura."

Sakura nodded, " Alright. Let me see."

Kohana stared hopelessly at the wall. It had been three hours since Sakura left. No one had come, and her legs dangled limply over her bed. She considered trying to walk on her own, but knew it was a lost cause. She could barely stand up by herself, let alone take a few steps.

She groaned, and put her head in her hands trying to numb her mind. As much as she wanted to walk freely again, that was not the only reason she insisted on daily therapy. The sessions occupied her mind and body for the entirety of the day, leaving the horrible flashbacks for the night.

She yelped when her window flew open and Kakashi gracefully jumped through.

Her eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here?"

Kakashi waved, "Ah, well, I've been appointed as your therapist for today. Would you like to try outside?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Without Permission

Kohana stared at him in disbelief.

"You're my therapist?"

"Sakura asked me. I couldn't say no to her. I'm her sensei."

Kohana glared at him, "What makes you think that I would spend even a minute with you? I'd rather suffer alone."

Kakashi sighed, "I won't force you. But, when Sakura finds out, she will want to know why you refused me. You haven't met my students, yet; they're quite nosy."

"Your point?"

"I'd rather keep our affairs between the both of us."

Kohana scoffed, "So they can't find out how cold-hearted you really are."

"Or how stubborn and petulant you can be."

Kohana's eyes flashed in anger. Before she could retort, a hefty woman walked in with a cart full of cleaning supplies.

Her face was flushed with the weight of the vacuum cleaner and broom that she supported one handedly. She glanced around the room, saw Kohana's empty breakfast tray, and her sullied bed sheets. She then saw the date on the white board that indicated when Kohana's room had been cleaned previously – 3 weeks ago.

"Oh, dear!", the woman murmured to herself, as she readied her supplies.

Kohana started, "Please Gamaki-san. Can we do this tomorrow? I'm not feeling very well and the smell of bleach makes me nauseous."

Gamaki glowered at the young girl. "Now, Kohana-chan. I don't know how you've managed to send away the other housekeepers, but I won't budge. It's too unhealthy for you to stay like this. I'm surprised you've let it go for this long."

Red colored her cheeks as she averted her eyes in embarrassment. She had refused anyone other than a couple nurses to enter her room because she didn't want them to witness know how childish she could be, or how strongly she reacted to those nightmarish dreams that ruthlessly flaunted her past. She didn't want people to acknowledge she was indeed weak, unable to overcome loss, because even years after the death of her loved ones, she still suffered in her dreams. And now, the murders of some hundred villagers added to the hauntings. It was her responsibility to oversee Kochi, the village in which she resided for the past several years, and she had miserably failed.

Kohana had left the Leaf with the goal of finding peace. The Third War had taken its toll on her, just like it did for everyone else. Shortly after Obito's death, Kohana had lost Rin, whose death solidified that Kakashi had once more failed as a human being. Still distraught with how Kakashi acted during the Kannabi Bridge mission, she refused to acknowledge Kakashi's pain or hear about Rin's sacrifice, stubbornly believing that someone like him could never change. In addition, the subsequent loss of Kushina and Minato, both of whom she considered parents, further devastated her.

Unable to find any closure, she personally requested the Sandaime to send her to Kochi. At the time, Konoha was strengthening ties with nearby lands to increase trade and help support its civilians. Kochi was an excellent commerce hub, with much talent for farming. The Sandaime agreed with her request, and in exchange asked her to send biannual activity reports. Kohana performed her task beautifully, not only remarking on the economic advantages of their alliance, but also informed the 3rd about any enemy threats. Her reports proved that Kochi was a small peaceful land, consisting of only few hundred citizens, and well hidden from the catastrophes of the shinobi world. Orochimaru's sudden infiltration was truly a surprise.

Gamaki's voice remained strict when she next addressed Kakashi. "Now, young man, take Kohana outside for some time. After all, I don't want to sicken her with the stench of these cleaning supplies."

Kakashi grinned, while Kohana looked up in horror. He easily picked her up into his arms without asking her permission and swiftly exited through the window. Once he gently landed on the ground, he set her up straight. Unable to find another pillar to support lean against, Kohana was forced to rely on Kakashi, whose hand was now wound tightly around her waist.

If looks could kill, Kakashi would have been dead by now, though he seemed completely unperturbed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Change

Author's Note: Thank you for reading my story. Please leave reviews and recommend to your friends as well. I apologize for the delay in the update!

Kakashi pulled her forward. "Well, what would you like to see?"

Kohana scowled, refusing to respond.

Kakashi sighed, "You may as well take advantage of your time outside."

Kohana deliberated this. He was right. The nurses would never let her out and she desperately needed some fresh air. She glanced at Kakashi coolly. "Fine. Take me to the mountainside. I want to see Sensei."

The trek to the hills was quiet. Kohana obstinately looked ahead, trying to dismiss Kakashi's presence. Kakashi understood her demeanor and felt no need to fill the cold silence with chatter.

Kohana had exerted most of her energy by the time they had reached the bottom of the trail leading to the stone faces. She was profusely sweating, and gasping for breath; though Kakashi stuck to the surrounding forest, the heat managed to smolder its way through the shade of the greenery. "Too much", she panted as her body involuntarily slumped against Kakashi's chest.

"I can see that", Kakashi smirked, as he straightened her up.

The black haired girl glared at him. "I've been walking forever. Unlike you, I don't have unlimited stamina."

Kakashi silently chuckled, and lifted her onto his back so that her legs wrapped around his torso while her arms locked around his neck.

She protested, "Don't! I can walk."

Kakashi replied, "You shouldn't exert yourself too much. You've done more than you usually do. Plus, this way is much faster." And within a minute, she was sitting across the Fourth's statue, her legs stretched out in front of her. A new emotion overtook her as she stared at Minato's face. She blinked her eyes rapidly, and hid her face in the nook of her shoulder.

Kakashi noticed her actions and quietly comforted her, "He died a hero's death."

"I know", she replied softly, momentarily forgetting her irritation with him.

"You still can't come to terms with it", Kakashi observed.

Her eyes flashed, her voice frosty, " I don't expect you of all people to understand how I feel _._ "

"I understand more than you think."

She scoffed, not bothering to respond.

Kakashi sighed, "You and I have shared the same loss and when you left for several years, I thought you would have found a way to deal with it."

"I can't rid myself of my feelings and pretend everything is all right with the world."

"How long will you hold the past against me?"

"Do you expect me to forgive you?"

"No, I just want you to listen."

"Listen to your excuses? Tell me, how many have you come up with in all these years?"

Kakashi's voice was slightly cooler when he replied, "You're being immature, Kohana."

"This conversation is pointless. I told you – stop engaging me. I don't want to have to do anything with you."

"I'm afraid that's impossible. I promised Obito I would look after you."

"The same way you looked after Rin?"

"I agree with you. I failed, but it won't be that way again."

"Why should I trust you? After everything you've done, why should I believe you?"

"Because Kohana-chan", Kakashi began, as he too took a seat next to her, "even the worst of us can change."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Please leave reviews! Also, this entire chapter is a Flashback. In the previous chapters, Kakashi's words seem to have pulled these memories back to the front of Kohana's mind. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 11: Change

Kohana stared sullenly at the wooden dining table in Minato's apartment. Kushina had invited her over for dinner; the kind woman had noticed that Kohana was neglecting her meals these days, and was concerned about her health. The recent death of Obito had once turned the cheerful girl into a moody character. The Jinchuriki felt obligated to pull Kohana out of her misery; after all, the younger girl helped look after the pregnant woman whenever Minato was busy with the tasking duties as Hokage, which was nearly always. The time they spent together had forged a special bond between them, and Kushina thought of Kohana as a beloved sister. And so, she was determined to bring Kohana back to her former personality.

The dinner menu tonight consisted of Kohana's favorite dishes. The delicious aroma suddenly hit Kohana, as Minato helped his wife carry a large tray laden with bowls and silver ware. Kohana's stomach growled and she sheepishly smiled at the pair.

"Ne, Kushina-chan! Let's not make Kohana wait any longer", Minato chuckled.

Kushina frowned, "Aren't Kakashi and Rin coming? I thought I told you to invite them, Minato."

"Rin is on a mission and won't be returning till later tonight. And as for Kakashi, it seems he wants an early night in", the Hokage responded.

Kohana averted her eyes. They all knew the unspoken truth; Kakashi and Kohana avoided each other like water and oil. Though it had been almost half a year since the incident, they still hadn't managed to reconcile with one another. Minato knew that their distance was mostly due to Kohana's stubborn attitude, but Kakashi was also still too ashamed to pursue her any further.

They ate in silence, each consumed in their own thoughts. As Kohana spooned her last bite, Minato abruptly turned towards her.

"Kohana, I need to talk you."

Kohana scrunched her eyebrows, her confused expression telling him to continue.

"I think it's high time that you speak to Kakashi."

Kohana grumbled, her eyes falling back to her nearly empty bowl, "I don't want to talk about this, Sensei."

"I know you don't. But, the way you're acting, and how lifeless you are honestly reminds me of him as well."

She didn't respond and so Minato continued, "I've already told you what his past was like – the horror of his father's death –

But before he could finish, Kohana interrupted him, " Sakumo- san was a hero, Sensei. You've told me that people die as Shinobi, and that all we can do is respect them. But, I've never seen Kakashi acknowledge his own father."

"Many, including his own comrades, berated Sakumo for saving their lives. The plummet in his father's reputation stunned Kakashi. You should understand that his emphasis on rules is not out of disregard towards his friends, but due to the bitter fear that resulted from his only parent's unexpected death."

Kohana swallowed, unable to retort.

Kushina stepped in, her voice much softer than usual, "Please, Kohana. Rin is suffering as well, and neither of you are helping her by acting this way."

Minato nodded, "Hai. Obito and Kakashi never got along, but I can bet you now Kohana that Kakashi considers him as a brother. And you can't begin to imagine the guilt he feels for not being able to save him. Please don't burden him anymore. He really has changed."

They remained silent for some time. Kohana considered their words, comparing her own actions and thoughts. Perhaps, she was being too harsh; after all, she barely knew Kakashi. Her interactions with him only occurred during his training sessions, which Obito would drag her along to, hoping to persuade her to pursue life as a Shinobi. While she got along wonderfully with Rin, and Minato, Kakashi's cold and distant demeanor repelled her, and their conversations had always been brief and awkward.

She sighed, "I hope you don't think I'm a ruthless person. I can sense the pain you feel for the both of us."

She then stood up, picking up her bowl in the process, and smiled genuinely, "I trust the both of you. Don't worry anymore on my account – I will visit him tomorrow."

Kushina grinned, "Alright! I knew you would come around! Do you want dessert?"

Kohana never got the chance to see Kakashi the following day. He and Rin had been deployed on another mission, and she didn't know how long it would take for them to return. She spent the days rehearsing her side of the conversation. However, her efforts were futile, as the meeting had gone in an entirely different direction.

Kohana was shaking, her body unable to control its tremors. Minato tensed, trying to placate her with a firm grip on her shoulder.

"No, Sensei. No, just stop!", she screamed, her eyes bulging.

Kakashi stared wide eyed at her wild appearance. Her hair, usually neatly parted into a tight braid, had let loose and covered her face. Tears were streaming down her face, as she pointed a finger towards the silver haired shinobi.

But, she didn't say anything. Instead, she charged forward with all the strength she could muster and landed on Kakashi, throwing punches wherever she could. If it weren't for the gravity of the situation, Minato could have laughed. Her throws were clumsy and lacking in power. It seemed that she was hurting herself more than she was Kakashi, who did nothing to defend himself. However, realizing the injuries she would sustain from hitting his chiseled body, he grabbed both of her wrists, forcing her to stop. She struggled against his grip, and they ended up rolling on the ground, with Kakashi hovering over her.

She was breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes bored into Kakashi, and her clenched hands fell limp. Her resolve weakened, and as she lost consciousness, she heard Kakashi's strangled voice.

"I'm sorry I killed Rin."

When she woke up, she found herself staring at the whitened walls of a hospital room. Her door was open, and a couple nurses scattered by throwing curious looks at her figure. She rubbed her head, trying to remember the events leading to her hospitalization. When she realized the cause of her distress, she let the tears flow, her body racking in silent sobs.

In the midst of the chaos that overtook her brain, one thought formed clearly, and unwaveringly.

Kakashi Hatake would never change.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Back to the present!

Chapter 12: Declaration

"Kohana?"

Kakashi's call jolted her out of her memories and she turned to her left to see the Jonin sprawled on the dirt floor.

"You spaced out."

She remembered his last words, and replied, "I really doubt that."

"Hmm?"

"That you can change."

Kakashi laughed.

"What?", Kohana grumbled, surprised by his amusement.

"I didn't expect you to believe me so easily, Kohana-chan", he answered before closing his eye.

She watched his figure. She remembered the old Kakashi very well. In his younger days, he seemed assertive, eager to prove his worth. But, this current Kakashi was beyond her imagination. He was no longer cold or tormented, but relaxed and assured. Furthermore, it was shocking to learn that he had a group of his own students, and she wondered what kind of teacher he had turned out to be.

"When did you quit Anbu?", Kohana asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"A while back."

"Why? I thought it suited you quite well."

"The 3rd relieved me of my duties as Captain."

He turned to face her, a small smile adorning his mask. "It's quite a relief, actually."

She gave him a questioning look.

"No more merciless killing or cold blooded decisions. It seems that I wasn't well suited for it."

She raised her eyebrow, showing skepticism.

"The Anbu are a select group of Shinobi who have unparalleled skills in combat and tracking. Naturally, I performed well", Kakashi explained, pointing to his nose.

He continued, "But, they are also rule bound, forced to complete missions even though it may spell their own death or that of their comrades."

He paused, trying to discern Kohana's thoughts, and finished quietly, "It became too taxing for me."

Kohana stared at him with wide eyes, and stuttered in disbelief, "Too t-taxing?"

Kakashi stood up and gave her a rare smile, "I can finally understand my father's decision. Obito helped me do that."

He then bent down and pulled up the stunned girl, "I think we need to get you back to the hospital, or Sakura will have my head on a plate."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12: Be Civil

Author's Note: I am incredibly sorry for the delay! Have been busy with life, and barely having time to write. Also, don't want to spew out chapters unless it makes sense for the story. Thanks for reading! Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Kakashi flew threw the forest, taking many shortcuts in order to reach the hospital before the nurses realized that Kohana had disappeared.

The ride was smooth, but his speed made Kohana nauseous and she thought she might vomit any minute. She called out to him, asking him to slow down. He came to an abrupt stop near a wizened tree. She immediately hugged the bark, her forehead leaning against the rough wood. Her deep breaths could be heard clearly through the silent greenery, and Kakashi moved his hand in soothing circles on her back.

Kohana feebly gasped, "You're too fast."

Kakashi asked concernedly, "Do you want to stop for awhile?"

Kohana frowned, "I thought you had to get me back as soon as possible."

"That can wait."

"You'll get in trouble."

Kakashi mused for a moment. It was true – the Hokage would not be pleased with having her roaming outside especially considering her weak condition. In addition, she was under high level security; along with Kakashi, Tsunade had requested the help of two other Anbu to guard her while Kakashi was away. The Hokage had asked him to visit her this afternoon, and if he remembered correctly, the Anbu would arrive shortly at the hospital. When they saw her room empty, there was no doubt he would be reprimanded.

"Don't worry about that."

Kohana blinked once, and then repeated with more emphasis, "But, you'll get in trouble."

Kakashi chuckled, and pushed her down to the ground, forcing her into a sitting position. "Your health is most important here."

Kohana looked up at him with a confused expression.

"I can't believe it. You're actually stopping for me", she muttered.

"Let me know when you're feeling better", he replied and turned his back to her staring idly at the cloudless sky, giving Kohana some shadow from the blaring sun.

Kohana asked, deciding to continue the earlier conversation at the mountainside, "So, after you quit Anbu, you joined as a Sensei?"

"Hai. Naruto is on my team. "You 've already met him. Didn't you realize?"

Kohana thought back to the blond haired boy. She silently cursed herself for not recognizing him as the 4th's son. The resemblance _was_ hard to miss.

She scowled defiantly, "I was delirious. Do they like you?"

"Not everyone hates me Kohana", he chuckled.

He sighed softly, talking more to himself than to her, "Maybe I could have done better".

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. Shall we go?" He didn't feel much like explaining the story of his estranged student especially when he was unable to save him. Not when Kohana was slowly warming up to him.

A week later:

It had been a week since Kakashi and Kohana went on their little excursion. Fortunately, they had made it back in time just before the Anbu guards arrived. Kakashi had left on a mission immediately afterwards, and so Kohana was once again back to her solitary confinement in the whitewashed room.

She couldn't complain as much as before, though. Her legs had significantly improved and she was now able to walk on her own, albeit only for short intervals. It was during one of these walking sessions that she ran into a severely green figure.

"Kohana-chan", a voice boomed loudly. Kohana blinked twice and then grinned broadly, throwing herself towards Gai in a tight hug.

"Gai!", she exclaimed, releasing her grip.

"I came as soon as I found out Kohana. Did Orochimaru hurt you?", he asked in a serious voice.

Kohana frowned, "Gai-kun, I'm trying to forget that."

Gai suddenly smiled and struck his famous pose, "Alright! Then I will help you forget. If I don't, I will run 100 laps around the village."

Kohana chuckled, "You don't have to do that Gai", as she led them back to her room.

Gai sat in the chair and observed her silently. Kohana scrunched her forehead, feeling self conscious. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing – you look familiar", Gai said.

Kohana laughed, "Well, of course I do. It's me."

Gai shook his head, "No. You look the same as him . Well, a lot better than what he used to be, but the same dead look."

Kohana asked, annoyed that she was now being likened to a dead person, "Who?"

"Kakashi! We were very worried about him, Kohana-chan."

Something in her clenched and she ignored the feeling.

"What do you mean, Gai?"

Gai regarded her carefully, "How do you feel towards him, Kohana-chan? Because when you left, it shattered what little life he had left."

She muttered softly, "Are you blaming me?"

Gai said swiftly, "Of course not, Kohana-chan. We know what you went through as well. But unlike you, who accepted our friendship and comfort, Kakashi distanced himself. When you were here, you barely saw him, given that he was on missions half the time. But, a year or so after you left, he quit Anbu., and remained in Konoha."

"I know. We talked."

Gai smiled, "You did? I'm glad to hear that. Then you must know as well about him being appointed as a Sensei."

"Hai. Uzumaki Naruto is on his current team."

"His first team", Gai corrected.

"First team?", Kohana asked. "You mean, he never oversaw a team before now?"

"Getting on Kakashi's team proved to be extremely diifciult."

"What, did he expect them to be as good as him right off the bat?"

"He failed every single student who didn't understand the importance of teamwork,"

Kohana's eyes widened, "He failed them!?"

"Hai. He took Obito's words to heart, Kohana chan. He didn't want anyone to repeat his own mistakes."

Kohana pondered this quietly as Gai continued, "I think he was finally able to accept Obito and Rin's death when he met Team 7. After all, his own Sensei's son, Naruto, is remarkably like Obito, Kohana."

Kohana smiled, remembering the exuberant boy and his playful antics.

Gai then asked her, "Kohana, I have to ask something of you."

Kohana looked at him, and nodded.

"I understand that your past with Kakashi is between the both of you. But, please be civil towards him."

She grumbled, "First , Minato-sensei and then you."

Gai chose to ignore her comment, and stood up and turned to leave but not before offering her a glinting smile.

"You are a kind person, Kohana and you've told me before that Obito taught you how to live. But, I think Kakashi's compassion will even surpass Obito's."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: I'll Open the Door for You

Kohana was released from the hospital shortly after Gai's visit. Tsunade came by to finish her final check up, and offered her keys to her new apartment, which she would soon realize, was located next to Kakashi's. She frowned, not knowing whether it was planned or not. But, for some reason, it didn't irritate her.

Her neighbor, however, was still not back from his mission, and so Kohana dwindled away her time decorating her room and kitchen. On the 3rd night of her stay in the newly furnished house, she found herself exerting all of her energy in opening a jar of tomatoes.

"This shouldn't be this hard", she panted as small beads of sweat wet her forehead. Despite her efforts, the jar didn't seem to want to open. She finally gave up, the last of her patience draining away, and she shouted at the stationary jar, "Fine! Don't work, you stupid thing!"

"My, my. What a temper", a voice said with amusement.

Kohana whipped her head up. "Kakashi", she spluttered, "How did you get in here? I locked my doors!"

He ignored her, and walked forward, grabbing the jar and twisted the lid. She scowled at the now open jar.

"You really need to exercise", he commented lightly.

Kohana's cheeks burned, "I do!"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "Is that so?", he questioned, his tone skeptical.

This time, Kohana ignored him, and voiced her previous question again.

Kakashi answered, "Locks won't prevent me from coming in."

Kohana argued, "You can't just come in here whenever you want. This is my house. So you can knock on the door like any other _normal_ person!"

"But, then you won't open the door. Because, Kohana-chan, I was under the impression that you still hated me."

Kohana looked away from him. She couldn't explain to herself why she was unable to experience those feelings of detest she had before. Maybe it was the way he spoke now. His words no longer reeked of arrogance, and to her surprise, she heard compassion and respect. She remembered during their excursion, on their way back, they had taken to the road for a short while. Though no one recognized her, everyone had stopped to bid Kakashi greetings, and Kakashi sheepishly responded back. It was a shock to see him conversing in that manner, when what she remembered of his social skills often involved avoiding people and arguing with superiors regarding rules and what not.

Or maybe it was Naruto. Though she never had a full conversation with the boy, she wouldn't soon forget the look of respect that shone in his eyes as he regarded his Sensei. That was what troubled Kohana the most, because Naruto was so much like Obito – she knew that already before even getting to know him. And unlike Obito, who clashed with Kakashi in every interaction, Naruto seemed to love his teacher. Kohana wondered if Obito would have accepted Kakashi now, and her gut told her that he would have.

Or maybe it was all those years she spent apart from him. The time that allowed her to mature from an emotional girl into a balanced, young woman had certainly helped clear her mind. During many evenings in Kochi, she would recall Minato's words about Kakashi. And if she admitted the truth, she often questioned herself if she had reacted properly, if she had spoken and lashed out too soon.

That was why, she was glad that when she saw him for the first time in many years, she hadn't screamed at him and that she hadn't asked the Hokage to be transferred somewhere else. Because after all the she heard about Kakashi in these past few weeks, she wanted to know for herself. She wanted to know how much he had changed, because he did change, and her 23-year-old mind could no longer deny that.

And so she quietly said, "I will. I'll open the door for you."

Kakashi blinked a couple of times and smiled, "Arigatou."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: 2 updates in one day! Wanted to make up for the gap :) Please leave me reviews. Have a great Labor Day.

Chapter 15: Run After Me

The next morning, Kohana woke to a shuffling noise that was too near to her liking. Whatever it was, she could hear its thuds on the wooden floor. She grabbed the edge of her covers tightly, and shut her eyes. Her immediate thought was snakes, which happened to be one of her more recently acquired fears, especially ever since Kabuto had kidnapped her. But, snakes didn't thud. Did they? She tried to imagine the tail whacking the floor, but even in her fear-clouded mind, she knew the idea was absurd.

So she slowly opened her eye and almost squealed in joy for her eyes had landed upon one of the cutest pitbulls she had ever seen. The brown dog was sniffing around her bedroom floor and wore a silver collar around his neck. Kohana jumped up from her bed. The sudden leap caused the dog to stop its investigation and look at her with a lazy eye that remarkably resembled Kakashi's.

She crouched down to it and put her face in front of its wet nose. Just as she was about to mouth her words of happiness, which undoubtedly contained the word cute, the dog held up its paw. Now, Kohana was thoroughly bewildered because she had met stray dogs and cats before and none of them had communicated like this before.

Did it want a high five?

"Don't say the word cute, lady", the dog said.

Kohana exclaimed, "You can talk?!"

The dog scoffed, "Of course I can talk. I'm a ninken. Pakkun."

Kohana looked at him in confusion and Pakkun sighed, "I'm a ninja dog. Kakashi sent me." Kohana then realized what she thought was a silver collar was actually a sliver headband not unlike the one Kakashi and other shinobi owned.

Kohana had stood up, and straightened her back, glancing at the clock as she did so. It was 7:00 am, and much too early for surprises.

She spoke to the dog, "Look, I already told Kakashi this. But, if he thinks he's so smart that he's not breaking his promise by sending one of his pets, you can run back to him and reiterate that no part of his body, or his kunai or his dogs are allowed to barge into my room without my knowledge."

She said this all in one breath, and for a moment she was concerned that Pakkun didn't register anything. But he had, because the next moment, he had yelled, "I AM NOT HIS PET!"

And for the next 10 minutes, Kohana seriously wondered why she ever thought dogs were cute because Pakkun had ransacked her entire closet, finally throwing in her face her only pair of athletic clothes and shoes.

She deadpanned, "What are these for?"

"Like I said, lady. Kakashi wants you to meet him on the training grounds."

Kohana backed away, now understanding why Pakkun had laid out the tight black pants and pistachio green shirt. But, the dog looked at her so menacingly that she faltered and had no choice but to dress for what she hopelessly thought would be an exhausting morning.

There were several reasons Kohana hated to exercise. First, she barely had any strength. One lap around, and she would be panting as if she had just climbed to the top of Mount Everest. Second, it hurt and Kohana hated how her ankles would throb leaving her to hop stupidly on alternating feet to ease the pain. But thirdly, and most importantly, she didn't want Kakashi to see her pant and cry. She knew he didn't have any patience for those who didn't put in any effort and after the Nara clan, Kohana was, at least physically, the laziest person around.

So when she had finally made it to the training ground, she had tried her best to weasel out of the situation making up wild excuses. But to her dismay, Kakashi simply smiled and without warning threw her over his shoulder and dropped her on soft grass. Kohana noticed that she was in a circular area and by this point she was seething that he refused to acknowledge her requests.

"Damn it, Kakashi! I don't need to do this."

At this statement, Kakashi pulled out a sheet of paper, which happened to be Kohana's hospital records. It was clearly written that she would now be able to walk, run or even jump over a bridge if she wanted to. Beneath that small paragraph was another few lines that stated the following.

 _I hereby grant Hatake, Kakashi permission to train Kohana as he sees fit, with the hope that he will nurture and strengthen her. Should she have any concerns regarding this appointment, do send her to me._

Kakashi slowly and neatly folded the paper back into his vest pocket.

"I'm here because of the 5th. Like she said, you are more than welcome to talk to her", he said nonchalantly, as if he had nothing to do with this.

Kohana pursed her lips. The battle was lost. She would rather run a hundred laps around the village than face Tsunade. Everyone knew her temper and as much as Kohana enjoyed hearing the 5th yell at others, she did not want to be on the receiving end of her anger.

Moreover, what exactly was she to plead.

The Hokage's decision was final, and so Kohana snapped, "Fine. I don't know how you did this, but just go easy on me."

Kakashi, however, did the exact opposite or that's how Kohana felt. To her horror, he told her to run 10 times around the large circle, with Pakkun keeping track of her time and progress. By the time she had dragged herself around for the final time, she collapsed on her knees.

Pakkun waddled towards her, and asked concernedly, "Are you ok?"

Kohana nodded feebly. Her hands felt like lead and she sarcastically doubted whether she would be able to move her legs in the future. She glanced upward and saw Kakashi lying on a tree branch, reading an orange book, not giving a care that she was sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.

She then asked Pakkun, "Did he watch me at all?"

Pakkun's hesitation to answer was enough. Kohana mustered the remaining ounces of strength and stomped towards him. It wasn't until she had reached his branch that he looked up to see her sweaty, flushed face.

"Oh, done already?"

Kohana seethed, "You're supposed to be watching me." Her anger surprised Kohana herself. Wasn't it better that he didn't watch how she ran clumsily, one foot landing awkwardly before the other?

Kakashi said as he closed his orange book, "I put Pakkun up to the task. I wonder how long it took you."

But Kohana was looking at the book, its pages clearly worn. And without thinking, without asking, she made a sudden grab for it, interested in what text could possibly hold his attention. Instead of feeling the paperback material, she felt the rough texture of cloth. Her hand at missed, and she had grabbed Kakashi's vest pocket.

Kakashi jumped down from the branch, his right loosely holding onto Icha Icha Paradise, the title cleverly hidden from Kohana's view.

"Let me see the book, Kakashi."

"Oh this? You wouldn't like this, Kohana."

"Maybe I can decide that for myself. After all, it seems to be a _very intriguing_ book, especially since it's kept you occupied while I ran _ten_ laps", she said through gritted teeth, as she leaned across him to reach for it.

Kakashi's arm came in her way, and she pushed against it for several minutes, before he suddenly and swiftly pinned her against the tree, his arms forming a cage around her.

Kohana froze. She had never been this close to him before. He leaned in slightly, and Kohana felt his mask graze the side of her face.

"Not this book, Kohana", he said hoarsely into her ear, as Kohana visibly shivered.

Kakashi stepped back and inexplicably placed his fingers on her cheek and wiped away a string of sweat. Kohana just continued to stare at him with wide eyes, only registering one sound – her heart beat, which was pounding furiously against her ribs.

Kakashi then put his finger on his chin, "If this book will make you run after me, then maybe I will use it."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Always Late and Always Early

Kohana was walking back to her apartment, silently following Kakashi. The silver haired ninja was immersed in his book once more, hardly paying attention to the road, yet walking in a perfectly straight line.

Many thoughts flew threw Kohana's occupied mind, the most common question being why her body had gone rigid as if paralyzed. She subtly pressed a hand over her heart, and was glad that it had significantly calmed down. A forbidden question crossed her mind, and she shook her head rapidly to get rid of it. Could it be that she was _attracted_ to him?

They had known each other as children, but this feeling was unfamiliar. Then again, she thought sarcastically, they were much too young to know the tenets of romance. By the time either had reached maturity, they were miles apart from one another. Kohana sighed and glared into the sunlight. This was Kakashi, a man that she hated for so long. Though, for some inexplicable reason, her anger towards him had dimmed, she wouldn't let their relationship go beyond friendship.

"He's a shinobi, a former Anbu", she muttered quietly to herself, "he just caught me off guard. That's it – nothing more, nothing less." With this statement she wiped her forehead, clearing away the sweat and the confusing thoughts.

"Kakashi! Kohana!"

Both parties looked to their right. Kurenai, Asuma and Gai were sitting at a food stall, each holding a scalding cup of tea in their hands.

"Come, join us!", Asuma called.

Kakashi looked to Kohana. She yelled back to the group, "I need to shower first – I'll meet you soon. Don't go anywhere!"

Kakashi nodded to her and softly brushed past her shoulder as he detoured his way back to the stall; Kohana's heart beat a little faster. "I'll wait for you here, then", he said.

Thankfully, Kohana didn't have much further to walk on her own. The apartment building was located quite conveniently across the stall. She climbed up to her room as quickly as her aching legs would allow, and jumped in the bathroom for a warm shower.

The hot water soothed her legs and she moaned in relief, as she felt her muscles loosen.

After 10 minutes of scrubbing the grime and sweat, she was standing in front of her closet, wrapped in a fluffy pink towel, a nerve visibly twitching on her forehead. Pakkun had thrown her clothes haywire in untidy heaps. She saw various comfortable shirts and pants that she would have liked to wear for the occasion, but her sore body prevented her from bending below her waist. She huffed in annoyance, opened another door that held her dresses, and quickly picked a casual blue and white patterned one. It was cold outside, but it would have to do.

After she dressed and braided her hair, she grabbed her tiny silver wallet and had just descended the first step of stairs when a shooting pain ran up her leg. She covered her yell with her palm. Her eyes welled with tears and she mentally cursed; it seemed that the vigorous exercise had finally caught up to her. The lack of a hot shower and boggling thoughts had finally made her painfully aware of the soreness in her legs.

She stood quite still just numbly gazing out in front of her. She didn't notice that she was in plain view of the four shinobi, who were of course staring at her stationary figure.

Gai mused, "Why is Kohana chan not coming down?"

Kurenai squinted trying to see the black haired girl better. "Do you think something happened?"

Asuma looked to Kakashi. "What did you do, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed, "Of course, you would blame me Asuma. She's probably in pain."

Gai stood up dramatically, and exclaimed, "In pain!?"

"Calm down, Gai. She's just sore from running. I trained her this morning."

"Oh, she's talking to you, then?" Gai said happily.

Kakashi ignored this and just stared at Kohana wondering if she would venture another step. It didn't seem likely.

"How many laps did you make her do, Kakashi?", Kurenai asked in a chiding tone.

"Oh, 10 or so."

Asuma chuckled, "No wonder. Poor girl."

Kakashi stood up, "I should probably help her."

The others merely stared after Kakashi's figure as he made his way up the stairs, coming to a stop in front of Kohana.

Kohana had gritted her teeth and was gripping the railing tightly too afraid to move incase the pain stabbed her again.

She saw Kakashi in front of her, and her eyes widened in worry. She whispered hoarsely, "I don't think I can move my legs."

"I know. I'll take you."

"Take me?", she stammered. Her legs may have been paralyzed, but her mind was running on wheels. She was wearing a spring dress and the cold breeze in the air was enough to lift the fabric. But, Kakashi seemed to have registered her concern and had picked her up bridal style.

She blushed and turned her face away and faced the windy atmosphere, letting it chill her face as they neared the ground floor. When they reached the landing, she was able to gather a clearer picture of Kurenai, Gai and Asuma. All three of them were smirking.

Kakashi gently placed her on the bench next to Gai and sat down besides her. Kohana chuckled awkwardly, and greeted them in what she hoped was a composed voice.

Gai boomed, anime tears rolling down his face, "So glad to see you out and about Kohana-chan! Already prolonging your youth by training with young Kakashi!"

Kohana giggled, "I wouldn't describe it as invigorating Gai-kun."

Kurenai reached forward and grasped Kohana's hands, "Kohana! It's been so long. We thought about visiting you in the hospital, but we heard you had been released and we didn't know where you were staying. But, I didn't expect you to be in the same apartment as Kakashi."

"It's ok, Kurenai. I should have informed all of you, really."

Asuma pulled out his cigar and puffed, the trail of smoke reaching Kohana's nostrils. She scrunched her nose.

"Still smoking, Asuma? You know it's a really bad habit."

"Ah, don't bother Kohana. I tell him that everyday. It's better to use physical force", Kurenai said as she reached over and yanked the cigarette packet from him.

Asuma grumbled, "Kurenai, you're not so gentle for a lady. You should be more like Kohana." Kakashi smiled behind his mask as he remembered Kohana's attempts to steal his book.

Asuma continued, "So, Kohana. How long has it been?"

Kohana answered, and soon the conversation had spun to include funny tales of the past. They talked through lunch and into the evening happily catching up. Kohana couldn't help but notice how much happier Kakashi appeared as he occasionally joined in to defend himself from Gai's teasing comments. And it was when she learned that Kakashi had developed a habit of arriving late to meetings, that Kohana finally saw Obito in him.

Because Obito was always late and Kakashi was always early. Yet, in death, they had switched.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Broken Friendship

The next morning, Kohana woke to a pounding headache and a stuffy nose. She groaned loudly, mentally chiding herself for not wearing a jacket in yesterday's chilly weather. She shuffled -her legs had miraculously healed after she iced them, a remedy Kakashi apologetically suggested the night before - into the kitchen, banging silverware as she struggled to find her copper teapot. Her eyes watered and she had to stop her search every few minutes to wipe her snotty nose. Finally, she had the kettle boiling and was grinding ginger when a coughing fit overcame her. She wheezed uncontrollably, grasping the countertop for support. When the coughs subsided, she turned off the stove and went straight back to bed, no longer in the mood for tea.

More severe coughing episodes interrupted Kohana's "nap", if one could call it that. By midafternoon, her temperature was raging over a 100 degrees Fahrenheit. She began to suspect that whatever she had was more than a common flu, and wondered whether she should drag herself to the hospital. But, just as she decided to change her clothes, the doorbell rang.

It was Kakashi. He took in her bleary appearance and pushed her back inside effectively shielding her from the cold draft that swirled behind him.

He clicked his tounge, "I'll take you to Sakura. Go get dressed."

Kohana sniffled and said in a thick voice, "How did you know?"

"I heard you through the walls."

" Oh yeah.", Kohana muttered absentmindedly before traipsing back to her bedroom.

Sakura frowned, "I'll need you to spend the night."

"What for?", Kohana croaked.

"I'll need to run a blood sample, and monitor your temperature overnight. I'll know how to treat you when I have those results."

She called two nurses to help Kohana settle once more into a room. This time, Kohana made sure to ask for a painted room.

Then Sakura turned to Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sakura led them into a quiet corridor before she said anxiously. "Her immune system is severely compromised. I'm pretty sure she just caught a common bout of flu, but her body is too weak to fight it alone; her chakra levels are alarmingly low. I'm surprised she hasn't collapsed of exhaustion."

"She looked ready to when I checked on her."

Sakura paced, "This might be the after-effect of the poison. I wasn't able to extract all of it when I treated her, but I thought her body would flush it out."

"How bad is it, Sakura?", he questioned, a twinge of worry lacing his voice.

"Tsunade-shisou will be able to cure her."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "She's not going to be happy about another extended stay."

Unfortunately, Kohana had once more become a familiar guest to the tiled floors and beeping monitors. The 5th Hokage had come to treat her and confirmed Sakura's prediction. Kohana was being daily administered with various shots and antibodies. Kakashi promised to offer some company, but had been deployed on missions that he barely found time to visit. However, Kurenai and Gai had stopped by and offered her flowers that were now soaking in fresh water.

Kohana was staring dully into the yellow petals when a someone briefly knocked her door. She turned to see Kakashi's team all dressed in heavy gear. She smiled at the three of them and sat up straight as they approached her bed.

"Kohana-san, please accept these roses as my token of sympathy", Sai said formally, a smile plastered over his face.

Kohana said thank you and turned to Naruto, who unlike Sai, shoved a bouquet of randomly picked carnations into her hand. He exclaimed, "Say, Kohana-nee-chan, why are you always in the hospital?"

Sakura bumped him on the head and hissed at him, "She's sick, Naruto baka."

Kohana giggled. "So, what brings all three of you here? It can't be just to see me at least not before a mission" , she said eyeing their kunai pouches.

Sakura answered, "Kakashi-sensei asked us to meet him here."

And as if on cue, Kakashi had appeared at her doorway casually leaning against the frame.

"Yo", he greeted his team.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi. "You're late, Sensei!"

Kakashi held up his hands in mock defense, "I'm sorry. I was saving –"

Naruto and Sakura interrupted him, "Liar!", before bursting out in laughter, remembering their genin days.

Kakashi chuckled, "Alright, guys. Kohana, how are you feeling?"

Kohana shrugged, "I'm recovering. What did you need from me?"

He set a file down before her and said gently, " This is a list of Kochi's citizens. Was there anyone that you spoke with frequently regarding trade and commerce?"

Kohana raised her eyebrow, "You think someone inside the village leaked information?" She harrumphed, clutching the file, "Oh, come off it Kakashi. Kochi had barely 100 citizens, of which majority were elderly women and children."

Kakashi pondered this deeply and Kohana frowned, "Did something happen?"

Before Kakashi could answer, Sai blurted, "We've been assigned a rescue mission to save those who have been captured. Jiraya sama pinpointed their location."

Kohana leapt down from her bed at this statement, her hands already rummaging through her black bag, "Alright. Wait for me, I'm just going to pack some clothes quickly. I have everything I need here."

Kakashi's voice was stern when he next spoke, "I don't think so, Kohana."

"What?"

"I can't take you with us."

"Why not?"

"You need to rest Kohana-nee san. I don't think Tsunade-shisou would allow it", Sakura said softly.

"I'll talk to Tsunade-sama!"

"It won't work, Kohana. Try to understand."

She let her bag fall down with a hard thump. Her eyes were blazing when she retaliated.

"Look, I know those people. And if either of you think you can stop me from coming, you're wrong. I'm not going to sit here _knowing_ that I can save them."

"And if you think you can get past me, you're severely mistaken as well Kohana. You're not coming."

Kohana's lips quivered. "H-h-how can you do this? Do you have any idea what I've gone through? I see them in my dreams every night. They're dead and I'm alive and it's horrible because I couldn't do anything to help them. I hear them crying and –" she broke off.

She took a steady breath and returned to her packing, throwing in her toothbrush and toothpaste to the pile of clothes she had selected. Kakashi crossed over and grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me, Kakashi. They're my family. I've lived with them for 12 years." His grip tightened.

"Stop this, Kohana. It's too dangerous."

She snarled, her voice ringing with determination, as she wrenched her arm away, "If you stop me today Kakashi, I'll never talk to you again. I'll forget that these past few weeks ever happened and we'll go back to square one. And this time, we won't be moving forward. "

The room had gone suddenly silent and the air heavy with tension. All eyes were trained upon the former Anbu.

Kakashi had closed his eyes, and said in a tight voice, "Then, so be it."

The pin-drop silence faded when Kohana fell to the floor with a thud, her hands wrapped around her knees. Soon, her sobs filled the room. She cried, cried as if she never did before. Because she didn't know what hurt more. The fact she couldn't join the mission or that Kakashi had so easily broken their friendship.

And Naruto, Sakura and Sai could tell that she valued his friendship a lot.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Lost Minds

Author's Note: Please, please, please review. I would really appreciate your feedback. It encourages me to write. Thank you for reading!

All of them had died. Every single one. Murdered. By the time Kakashi and his team reached the hideout, the victims were sprawled on the ground their skins a nasty shade of blue. According to Sakura, the poison was administered just minutes before and was extremely fast acting, ten times more potent than what Kohana had been injected with.

Kohana had just been released from the hospital when Gai reluctantly relayed the news to her. She didn't shed a single tear; instead her body had gone numb, and Gai was worried she had gone into shock. She plainly avoided Kakashi, making frequent U-turns in the market whenever he crossed her path. She wasn't angry with him, but too scared to face him. She had wasted precious minutes arguing and if it wasn't for her petulant attitude, they could have made it in time. How foolish was she to insist on joining a B-ranked mission? She would have only gotten in the way. Nevertheless, Gai insisted that Kakashi was not upset with her and only glad that she was safe.

But, Kohana felt that she didn't deserve his sympathy. Her behavior seemed most worrisome; she lived monotonously, without a shred of feeling. It was only during her sleep, when her nightmares returned, that she expressed her anguish. The horrid dreams were partially her fault – before bed, she would flip through the photos in the file that Kakashi had brought with him, the file that contained pictures of now murdered children and families. She recognized every individual and she felt obligated to remember them. Unfortunately, this daily ritual left her vulnerable to harsh recounts of her time with Kabuto. She felt though that this was a small price to pay compared to what had happened to her family in Kochi.

Kakashi heard her muffled screams every night; the only good that came out of this was he knew she was alive. Thus, Kakashi was surprised to hear, one late Saturday night, an unnatural silence, as if her apartment was devoid of life. He picked the lock on her door and silently opened it, not wanting to alarm her in case she was awake. Her rooms were a mess; dirty cups and clothes were scattered over her dining and coffee table while broken china dangerously littered the kitchen floor.

Kakashi rushed to her bedroom, and he let out a startled gasp, "Kohana!"

Kohana swiveled around to face Kakashi, her black nightdress faintly illuminated by the moonlight. Kakashi first saw an empty white bottle of sleeping pills sitting on her nightstand and then her tightly clutched fist. He moved swiftly towards her and wrenched her palm open. They both watched the round tablets tumble onto her bed sheet and the wooden floor.

She looked at him with wide eyes, suddenly afraid – more afraid than she had been to overdose herself with a sedative. Kakashi's face was contorted in fury, and when he spoke, his voice was frigid as if he was forcefully willing himself to remain calm.

"Were you going to kill yourself?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but made no sound. Her voice seemed to have left her.

Kakashi grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly.

"Answer me!"

Kohana wasn't sure what she was doing, really. When she bought the prescription at the pharmacy, she only meant to use it to sleep. But instead of one pill, she shook out the entire bottles contents into her palm. A small, distant voice in the back of head warned her of the danger, but a much more desperate, and frantic voice screamed for her to proceed. Her sleep-deprived body obviously didn't care if she didn't wake up the next morning.

"Did you take any?", he asked, his voice still cold.

"No.", she said hoarsely. Then she added after half a second pause, "I was about to."

He released her shoulders. Kohana heard the slap before her mind registered the sting. Her hand flew up to her right cheek, which lightly burned. They both stared at each other in disbelief. Kakashi's hand trembled. For a moment, Kakashi thought Kohana was going to hit him, and he braced himself for the impact knowing that he deserved it. But when she threw herself at him, he felt both her arms wrap around his torso. She was hugging him and her cheek was pressed against his chest. Kakashi froze, but returned her embrace offering her much needed warmth and comfort.

Kohana didn't pull away until about ten minutes later. She whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was wrong of me."

She shifted her tired eyes away from his. She was too embarrassed to speak, and resorted to glancing around her untidy room. It didn't occur to her that she had forgone all hygiene except for showering once a day. Her eyes then fell on the prescription bottle. Kakashi followed her gaze and said delicately, "I'll take you to Kurenai. You should stay with her for tonight."

Kohana nodded, feeling exhausted. She hadn't slept peacefully in days. A change in scenery would help.

She thought back to what she almost did tonight whether intentionally or unintentionally. She could only come up with one reason. She really had lost her mind.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: You're Here Now

When Kakashi knocked on Kurenai's door, Kohana didn't expect Asuma to answer, his posture slightly defensive due to the late hour. Embarrassment coursed through her and she dearly hoped they hadn't _interrupted_ them. Kakashi gestured for Asuma and they both shifted to the right and spoke in low voices that Kohana couldn't make out. Shortly after, Asuma strolled back into the apartment, returning with Kurenai behind him. Kohana threw her an apologetic glance, but she only smiled kindly.

Kakashi spoke, "Kohana, I'll pick you up tomorrow."

She muttered tiredly, "We should go back." Kurenai laughed, "Don't worry, Kohana." With a quick look towards Asuma, she added a little shyly, "I guess I have some things I need to tell you."

Kohana and Asuma switched places and everyone bid each other goodnight. The door closed, and Kohana turned to face Kurenai's tidy apartment. She apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interfere."

Kurenai brought her a glass of water and sat down on the black sofas. Kohana did the same and faced the window where several pots of flowers were perched, the green leaves glinting in the moonlight.

"It's not a problem. Asuma and I have been together for a while. You're the last to find out."

"I see. Congratulations", she offered, not knowing what else to say. Her eyes felt heavy and she longed for a bed.

Kurenai smiled, "You look like you need some sleep. We can talk tomorrow. Come, I'll show you the guest bedroom."

When Kohana awoke the next morning, she could smell several mouth-watering flavors wafting through the door. She quickly brushed her teeth with ambled into the kitchen where Kurenai was busy making pancakes.

"You're awake! It's nearly 10:00 am." Kurenai turned off the stove, and plated Kohana's breakfast. The both of them ate silently. As Kohana picked at her pancakes with a fork, she pondered when Kurenai would sprout the question about last night's incident. Kakashi probably told Asuma everything.

She was right. Just after Kohana finished her last bite, Kurenai launched the conversation.

"Asuma told me about last night."

Kohana sighed, "I wasn't trying to commit suicide." The word tasted funny in her mouth, and it scared her that it looked like that to everyone else.

"Maybe so. It was still dangerous, though. If Kakashi wasn't there…", she stopped abruptly.

Kohana finished the thought for her, "I would probably be dead by now."

There was a moment of silence before Kurenai spoke again.

"I'm glad the both of you are getting along. All of us thought you would never come back. You didn't even tell us you were leaving."

Kurenai sounded hurt, and Kohana rushed to give an explanation. After Rin, Kurenai was one of her closest friends.

"I was six years old when Obito found me on the streets. He took me to his home where I lived with him and his grandmother. He loved me like an older brother; those were the happiest days of my life. When he died, I was devastated. And then after Rin and Minato sensei… I just thought it would be better for me to leave all of this behind. I never meant to hurt any of you."

"I know. Please don't be offended. Did you think about Kakashi, though? You weren't the only who lost them."

Kohana half-smiled, and traced her finger over the wooden creases on the table. She said, "I was judgmental towards him, wasn't I? I was also very young, blinded by my own emotions. Still, that doesn't excuse how I've treated him…especially after all that he's done for me."

Kurenai nodded and took their plates to the sink. As she rinsed them, she explained,"He suffered alone. Rin's sacrifice shook him terribly."

Kohana choked on her water, "Sacrifice? What do you mean, Kurenai? I thought Kakashi lost control of his Chidori."

Kurenai frowned, drying her hands with a towel, "Is that what he told you? No, Rin intercepted his attack, killing herself so that Isobu wouldn't fall into enemy hands."

Kohana blinked a few times, her mouth dry. "Why did he lie to me?"

Kurenai didn't answer, watching Kohana with something akin to pity.

"What was he like, Kurenai? How did he cope with this?" She suddenly felt like she didn't know Kakashi at all.

Kurenai gave a short laugh, and started unloading the dishwasher. It was a while before she spoke.

"He was distraught. He avoided his friends completely. It was shocking for us to see him so cold and distant. Gai finally asked the 3rd to relieve him of his Anbu duties. It was the only thing we could do for him."

"Did…did he mention me at all?", Kohana asked meekly.

Kurenai shook her head, "He never spoke of you. At least not to us."

The words pierced Kohana sharply. Kurenai turned around to see Kohana's saddened face. She gave her a tight hug while saying, "Kohana, you're not a shinobi. So, death affects you differently than it does us who have experienced it more than we would have liked. But, we've learned to move on, to honor those who have passed. I promise you it becomes easier once you do."

Kohana nodded feebly. Her mind was still reeling from Kurenai's words. How much had she wrongly accused Kakashi of? She blinked her tears away, and returned Kurenai's hug.

When they pulled away, Kurenai asked, "Do you like him?"

The question caught Kohana off-guard. She hiccupped, "What?"

Kurenai smiled slyly and Kohana blushed, catching on. She quickly said, "No. It's not like that!"

The older woman laughed making her way into the living room. "I denied Asuma for a long time."

Kohana stammered, her face heating up, and Kurenai smirked, "Relax. It's just a question."

They spent the rest of the morning talking in happier tones while Kurenai talked about Asuma. By lunchtime, Kohana was clutching her side heaving with laughter as she listened to how an unsuspecting Gai had interrupted Kurenai and Asuma at the hot springs, and how Kurenai had never seen Asuma so embarrassed before.

There was a knock and Kurenai welcomed Kakashi inside. Kohana's smile disappeared immediately, and she gazed at Kakashi as if she never saw him before. Kakashi spoke to Kurenai, "Tsunade-sama's requesting you. I'll take Kohana home."

Kurenai nodded, "Kohana. I have some of your old clothes. Why don't you take a shower and go? Kohana? Kohana?"

Kohana jumped, and tore her eyes away from Kakashi.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Kurenai exchanged sideway glances with Kakashi before responding, "Hai. Would you like to shower?" Kohana found her black leggings and purple dress shirt hanging neatly in the guest bedroom. She quickly bathed and returned to the living room where Kurenai and Kakashi were sitting with morbid expressions, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

"What happened?"

Kakashi glanced up, "Nothing. Are you ready?"

Kohana thanked Kurenai and followed Kakashi out the door. They walked along the streets, which unlike last night, were sprawling with children, parents and occasional shinobi. It wasn't until they turned an unfamiliar road that Kohana realized Kakashi wasn't taking her home. They stopped in front of a tea stall.

"You didn't have lunch", Kakashi explained.

"A—arigatou, but I'm not feeling hungry." And just as she said that, her stomach gave a loud growl. Kakashi chuckled and led her inside to a corner table; the waitress rushed over and they placed their orders. Kakashi ordered onigiri and Kohana asked for dango. They waited silently. Kakashi had taken out his book, and Kohana was still debating how to ask about Rin. When Kakashi noticed her staring at him, he peeked at her from the side of his book.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

Kakashi put his book down and folded his arms.

"First, thank you for last night. I…I wasn't in the right state of mind."

"No, you weren't. I hope you don't pull that off again." He still seemed angry.

"And, also thank you for taking me to Kurenai. I didn't know she and Asuma were together."

"Asuma's secretive about it", Kakashi commented.

Kohana nodded, and fumbled with her fingers.

"You're nervous", Kakashi observed.

"I…Kurenai told me something."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow and indicated for her to continue. But, Kohana was spared by the arrival of their food. They ate without talking. (Kakashi finished in record time, easily managing to hide his face from Kohana, who kept her eyes fixed on her bowl.) Kakashi prompted her again.

"What did Kurenai say?"

Kohana mumbled quietly, "About Rin."

Kakashi's expression froze and he answered stiffly, "Ah."

Kohana continued, tearing her eyes away from her soup, " Why didn't you tell me? All this time, I thought that …"

"It doesn't matter."

Kohana's voice rang out loudly, and she wringed her napkin, "It matters to me, Kakashi! Why did you lie to me?"

"That wasn't my intention."

"Why?" Kohana insisted.

He didn't answer. Kohana could tell that this was something he hadn't talked about in years. And she was no one to force him; she realized how large of gap she had created between the both of them.

She sighed, "I was wrong about you. I never tried to understand you. I was arrogant, and hurtful. I ignored you, but you've done so much for me and I don't deserve any of it."

Kakashi could see the tears brimming in her wide eyes and he replied, "Kohana. It's okay. I'm fine."

But, Kohana had put her head in her hands and whispered hoarsely, "No, no, no. It's not okay. They're gone. And I left you. You were all alone. And I left you. They're _gone_."

Kakashi stood up, and gently pulled her up from her chair. Customers were looking at her peculiarly. He slapped down change on the receptionist's counter and led her to a secluded bench amid a grove of trees.

Kohana sat down, and sniffed, "I'm sorry."

Kakashi leaned down, and ruffled her hair affectionately. He smiled, "You don't need to apologize. What matters is that you're here now."

Kohana parted her lips, about to disagree. His words rang in her ears. _What matters is that you're here now._ A smile spread across her lips and she leapt up to hug him, repeatedly whispering thank you.

Maybe the gap wasn't too big.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: I Lied Too

 **Author's Note: Thank you Readers! I really appreciate the feedback coming through in the form of follows and favorites. Wouldn't say no to a couple of reviews, though! Enjoy!**

Kakashi escorted Kohana back to the apartment building before leaving to train with his team. Apparently, he was much too late and the blond Jinchuriki had taken the responsibility of dragging his sensei away from Kohana. She didn't mind, though. She had her own errands to run anyway. For example, cleaning her house was number one on her to do list. She groaned as she thought about the clutter she made last week and pondered on which room to tidy first.

But, her worries were unnecessary. Kohana's living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and the floors were spotless. Lying comfortably on her beanbag was none other than Pakkun, who opened his eye at the sound of her footsteps.

"Pakkun! What are you doing here?"

"Hi, lady. You're back."

Kohana stared at him momentarily, and then addressed him again, "Did you clean my apartment?"

Pakkun nodded lazily, "Kakashi's orders. You made a mess. Took me ages to put everything right."

Kohana answered, slightly annoyed, "You ransacked my closet."

"Fair enough. Only reason I agreed to do the job. Do you have any food?"

"You mean dog snacks?"

This irritated Pakkun. He huffed, "I'm not a dog. I'm a ninken, and I eat human food."

Kohana crossed the tiled floor to her pantry, and searched for edible snacks. She pulled out a bag of popcorn and heated it in the microwave. Meanwhile, Pakkun had already pulled out two bowls. Kohana poured the fresh popcorn into both dishes and pushed one towards Pakkun.

She chewed and looked around the rest of her house. "I'm sorry you had to do all this."

"Like I said, lady, Kakashi's orders."

"I have a name, Pakkun."

Pakkun ignored this and munched loudly. Kohana sighed, and grumbled, "Clearly, Kakashi didn't teach you any manners. I guess he has to order you to call me by my name, huh?"

Pakkun barked, "Bingo, lady."

Kohana giggled softly, "I'll have to remind him, then."

Pakkun belched, and Kohana gave him some water. He bid her a quick goodbye and vanished with a poof. Kohana smiled warmly at the spot where Pakkun disappeared; she would have to thank Kakashi once more.

Over the next few days, Kohana's health was starting to suffer again. It had been a month since her fever, and though her temperature remained stable, she felt her stamina fluctuate at odd times. Recently, when she had accompanied Kurenai on a short shopping trip, she had fainted. Thankfully, Kurenai caught her before she cracked her head on the floor of a women's clothing store. Kohana regained consciousness shortly after, and ever since then, she had been taking vitamins prescribed by Sakura. While the pink haired kuniochi ensured her nothing was wrong, Kohana noticed how she averted her eyes. Moreover, her spinning spells returned whenever she forgot to take her tablets (Kohana was not a consistent person. She often popped the pills at random times, whenever she remembered.) She couldn't help but feel that her health issues had started ever since she was rescued from Kabuto. She informed Sakura of her doubt, but the teenage girl kindly dismissed it, saying that Kohana was only feeling the after effects of Kabuto's poison. However, Kohana was not naïve and was slightly hurt that no one trusted her with the truth.

While Kohana was preoccupied with her own well-being, it didn't stop her from noticing Kakashi's increased absences from the village. She barely saw the copy-nin, except in the hallway where they would occasionally run into each other. Most of time, Kakashi looked so deadbeat that Kohana barely received more than a hello from him. Thus, she was briefly surprised when he knocked on her door on a Saturday evening.

"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully.

Kakashi handed her a brown bag, "Sakura asked me to give this to you. Your vitamins."

"Arigatou."

Kakashi nodded, and sighed deeply.

Kohana peered at him closely; she remarked, "You look exhausted. Did you just get back from a mission?"

"Hai."

"Come in, I'll make you some tea. You'll feel better."

He stepped over her threshold and plopped himself down on her mahogany sofa, and closed his eyes. Kohana pulled out her teapot and started grinding ginger. She called out to him as she worked, "Why are you going on so many missions? Is something wrong?"

She heard a muffled response, "Usual load. Nothing to worry about." She didn't believe him. She recalled how serious Kurenai and he had looked a week ago in her apartment.

"Really?", she asked loudly.

"Hai", said a voice close to her ear.

Kohana jumped. Kakashi was right behind her, watching her brew ginger tea.

She spluttered, "How? When…. never mind!"

Kakashi chuckled, and leaned across the island, and observed her clean interiors. "I see Pakkun did a good job."

Kohana handed him a cup of steaming tea, "Yeah. I've been meaning to invite you for dinner as a thank you, but you're so busy."

"Hmm...", he said thoughtfully, "No need to thank me. But, how about tonight? I'll help."

Kohana smiled broadly, "No, tonight's perfect. Just go read your book. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

Kakashi nodded and slowly walked back to his spot on the couch. Kohana observed him worriedly; he seemed more tired than usual. An hour later, Kohana had prepared over four dishes, each bowl housing authentic Japanese cuisine. She made tempura, Udon noodles, grilled chicken and fried rice. For dessert, she whipped up mango ice-cream and sweet dango, both of which were currently hidden in the fridge.

She walked to her living room, and saw that Kakashi had dozed off. His hand lay protectively on top of his orange book, and his chest rose with each breath. Kohana debated whether to wake him and then decided it would be best to make him eat before he fell into a deep slumber. She reached her hand out to pat his vest, when he suddenly grabbed her wrist. She let out an audible gasp and toppled onto him. He immediately steadied her shoulders, breaking her fall.

Kohana pulled herself from his grasp and stood up massaging her wrist.

"What did you do that for?" she exclaimed.

"Ah, it's you", he said vaguely.

"Of course, it's me. Who else would it be?" she retorted.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No", she said defiantly. She examined her wrist; it looked a little red. She brushed it off, and continued, "Dinner's ready. I was going to wake you up. You fell asleep."

Kakashi yawned and followed her to the dining table, which was decorated with plates and entrees.

"I'm surprised, Kohana. You made all this…in a span of two hours?"

"I also made dessert. But, have these first." She passed him a small bowl of soup and a plate of rice and tempura. They ate in silence, sometimes talking about Kakashi's team. Kohana learned about Sasuke and Naruto's rivalry and inwardly marveled at Kakashi's fate; Sasuke and Naruto were not unlike Obito and Kakashi.

She asked, "Do you think he'll do it? Bring Sasuke back?"

Kakashi answered, "I think he has the capacity to do so. I think that Naruto is the only match for Sasuke."

After a few minutes, they moved onto dessert and the conversation took a different turn. She had been meaning to ask Kakashi about Kabuto, and the topic of Sasuke's curse mark had brought her question to the front of her mind.

"Kakashi, is there something wrong with me? I've been ill lately, and I've never felt this way before. Sakura and Tsunade-sama say I'm fine but…I don't think they're telling me the truth."

Kakashi regarded her carefully. He knew this would happen sooner or later; Kohana was perceptive. But, he was under strict orders to not reveal anything to Kohana. And he privately agreed with the Hokage that the less she knew about her chakra, the better.

He spooned some mango ice-cream, and kept his tone light, "Kohana, Tsunade-sama is the 5th Hokage and a Legendary Sannin known for her medical ninjutsu. What reason would she have to lie to you?"

Kohana bit her lip, " I haven't been getting any straightforward answers either. Sakura told me I'm still undergoing the aftereffects of Kabuto's poison, but that can't be right. It's been over two months and my body should have flushed it out by now."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "Are you a medic?"

She flushed, "No, but…"

He cut her off, "Kohana, you were kept captive under Orochimaru, a former Leaf shinobi shunned for his illegal experiments. We have few records of his work. Moreover, what happened to you could have happened to anyone. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I guess so", she sighed, "Maybe, I am overthinking it." She glanced at the vitamin package forlornly. "I hate taking these. They make me nauseous."

Kakashi watched her swallow the pills. He wondered how long it would be before she realized that he had lied too.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Parentage

 **Author's Note: Hope all of you like the little surprise at the end. More on this late…please REVIEW.**

Kakashi was standing in the Hokage's office before a somber Tsuande. Jiraya had come with unwelcome news; the Akatsuki were on the move in capturing the tailed beasts after lying low for three years. An even more pressing matter was Sasuke, who had most likely achieved strength beyond Naruto or Sakura. With the Akatsuki's threat and monitoring Sasuke's plans, Tsunade was indeed very stressed.

And Kakashi had just primed her of Kohana's increasing doubts regarding her health. She snapped at him, "Can't you do something about it Kakashi?"

Kakashi bowed, " Kohana's very observant. I believe that she won't be tolerate being the dark for much longer. It would be best if we told her, Tsunade-sama. I understand your reluctance, but she will find out one way or another. I'd rather it be now than later."

"And risk the village knowing? Her Kekkai Genkai is one of the most valued and preserved in shinobi history. Orochimaru's already aware, and I shudder to imagine how other nations will react!"

Shizune stepped in, "Tsunade shisou, I agree with Kakashi-san. It's causing her discomfort, and she deserves to know why."

Tsunade sighed and scratched Ton-Ton's ear. Kakashi watched the pig purr contently, and droop his eyes sleepily. He wished he could be like Ton-Ton and cast away his problems for others to deal with, at least temporarily. He was beyond exhausted and on the edge of asking the Hokage for a break. But, he knew it was a pointless question especially before the imminent danger from the Akatsuki. So, he waited attentively for the Hokage's response. If Tsunade agreed with him, then he had another issue on hand.

Tsunade finally answered after much thought, "I see your point. I'm more worried about the effect this piece of information will have on her…finding out about her family after all these years. Plus, we'll have a hard time restraining her." She suddenly scoffed, "Her father's just as stubborn. Still…Kakashi!"

Kakashi nodded firmly, "Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

"Contact Jiraya, and ask him to be here as soon as he can. He'll want to be there when his daughter finds out about him. Honestly, the old fool shying away from her for all these years...I wonder how he'll take this."

'Probably not well', Kakashi thought mentally. Before he went to rescue Kohana, he had asked Jiraya how he felt about his daughter returning home after so many years. Jiraya was uncharacteristically quiet; Kakashi never understood his hesitation to reveal himself to his daughter. It's not like Kohana wouldn't understand. Nevertheless, it wasn't his business. But, it was, because Kohana liked to take her anger out on him. And if she found out that he knew of her parentage long before she did…he decided to buy some earplugs.


	22. Chapter 22

Jiraya looked somberly through the Hokage's window. Tsunade watched him, her hands clasped underneath her chin. Both were quiet, calmly listening to the birds twittering outside. It wasn't until Ton-Ton let out a small yawn that Jiraya turned around to face his childhood friend.

His face was unusually grave, he asked, "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

Tsunade replied slowly as if choosing her words carefully, "It's been twenty two years. Still, you had your own reasons and I'd say they were good ones too." She added, "It's been too long. Don't you think it's time?"

Jiraya nodded, "You're right. After what Orochimaru did to her…it's time I start protecting her as her father."

He then relaxed his stature, and softly chuckled, "She certainly has a temper. It's not as poignant as yours, though."

Tsunade glared at him.

The Sannin laughed, "I'm glad she doesn't resort to yelling and physical throws. One of you is enough."

"Jiraya…", Tsunade grumbled.

He continued, "Kakashi's been on the receiving end of her anger. And from what he's told me, it's not an enjoyable experience." He mused for a while and looked to the door as he heard two abrupt knocks.

Tsunade called the visitor to come in, and Kakashi stood there with his hand in his pocket.

Jiraya straightened up, "Ready Kakashi?"

Kakashi found this question funny, because Jiraya didn't look ready at all. He wore an expression of anxiety and as he passed Kakashi, he grasped his shoulder firmly.

Tsunade nodded to the both of them and watched their retreating backs. She muttered to herself, "You're a foolish man, Jiraya. But not a foolish father."

Kakashi knocked on Kohana's door firmly. Jiraya leaned against the wall and observed the bland hallway. After a few minutes, they heard shuffling and the door opened to reveal Kohana, her curly black hair tied up in a wet bun. She wore gray yoga pants and a loose black top that she quickly centered on her shoulders. She had clearly rushed out of the shower without taking care to wrap her hair in a towel; Kakashi noticed the water droplets on the wooden floor and her slightly flushed face.

He greeted her, "Ohayo, Kohana-chan. I've brought someone who would like to meet you. Is this a good time?"

Kohana shot him a baffled look, and leaned out the doorway to see Jiraya.

Her face split into wide grin, "Jiraya-sama!" Of course, she knew the legendary Sannin. He often dropped by on Minato's training sessions, and amused them all with his goofy personality.

Jiraya boomed at the sight of his daughter, suddenly forgetting his nervous nature, "Kohana-chan! How are you doing, dear?"

Kohana replied affirmatively and ushered them both inside. She quickly set a pot of boiling water before joining them in the living room.

They spoke idly, their conversation light and carefree. It wasn't after several minutes that Jiraya put a stop to their current discussion.

He turned to his daughter, "Kohana. You must be wondering why I am here."

Kohana titled her head slightly and said politely, "Is there something you need from me?"

Kakashi answered, deciding that it was best if he primed her for the upcoming truth, "Kohana, what you are about to hear might come as a shock. I only ask you to listen to Jiraya-sama…fully."

Kohana frowned, "Okay…"

Kakashi asked her, "Kohana, how much do you remember about your parents?"

"Not a lot…I have a very vague memory of a woman with black hair and tanned skin. I assume she's my mother because she looks so much like me. But, why?"

"Do you remember anything else?"

"No Kakashi. You know this already. I was orphaned at 4.5 years. Baa-chan (Obito's grandmother) told me they died in a fire."

She then looked at Jiraya, "Wait…did you find out something?"

Her heart thudded, as she asked the impossible, "Are…they alive?"

Jiraya responded, "Kohana, I am your father."

Kohana stared at him dumbly, "What?"

He repeated, "I am your father…your biological father."

"You're…this has to be a joke."

Kakashi shook his head, "No. He's telling the truth."

She stared at Jiraya in shock. She muttered, "Impossible."

Jiraya shook his head, "It's not, Kohana."

Kohana put her head in her hands and shook her head as if trying to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She said through her fingers, "Did you know that all these years, I thought I didn't have any parents?"

Jiraya said heavily, "I know."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why are you telling me now?"

"Because it's time for you to know…know everything about your past. How I met your mother, why I wasn't there for you, why you had to live with Obito and his grandmother, and most importantly why you've recently succumbed to sudden bouts of illness."

Kohana swallowed thickly, and didn't say anything. Jiraya gaged her reaction and decided to launch into the tale.

"Kohana, as you know, I travel the world. When I was in my late teens, a certain sage told me that I was going to find the one to save this world. The Child of the Prophecy. I went from village to village, trying to find the person, but my attempts ended in vain. It was during these trips that I met your mother."

He paused, offered Kohana a small smile and said, "She was a charming woman. She housed me and took care of me when I fell sick. She developed feelings for me and I returned them, but perhaps not as strongly as she did. I left her shortly after; I told her how it wasn't my destiny to be with her and that she deserved to love another who would never leave her side. We quarreled, but I had to go. I had my own duties as a shinobi and my village needed me."

"Several years later, I heard through my sources that the village which she resided in burned to the ground. I rushed there immediately and I found your mother hidden under a cave with you, a 4.5 year old child. She was in a bad shape, but she protected you until her last breath. She told me who you were and made me promise to keep you safe."

He then leaned forward, and he croaked, "Please believe me, I didn't know I had become a father until then. I never knew that she was pregnant."

Kohana numbly nodded.

Jiraya drew a deep breath, "I brought you back to Konoha, but I knew I couldn't give you the life your mother wanted for you. We were at war and I was being sent on missions that spelled death for many formidable shinobi. I was never sure if I would live to see another day. If I died, would you have to suffer the loss of another parent? I told the 3rd Hokage of my doubts and while he disagreed with me, he helped me find you a foster home.

"I left you with Obito's grandmother who was more than willing to take care of you. I forbid her to tell you the truth, of course. Over the years, I felt confident that I had made the right choice. She raised you with love and affection; she gave you a family, however small it was. But, it wasn't the best decision. I couldn't protect you after all", he finished, gesturing to the scars, vestiges of her time in Orochimaru's lair.

Kohana blinked rapidly, her mind still registering Jiraya's story…her story. Jiraya laid a hand on her knee and she quickly withdrew her leg, and stood up."I've left the water boiling. I'll be back", she said in a shaky voice. Jiraya nodded glumly and folded his arms as he leaned back against the leather sofa. Kakashi watched her worriedly as she rushed to the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, Jiraya turned to him, "Kakashi, my daughter may never forgive me. She may never talk to me again. I'll do everything in my power to protect her. But, you need to promise me that you will continue to look after her."

Kakashi nodded, "Of course, Jiraya-sama. Kohana is my friend. And I wouldn't assume so quickly. Wait for what she has to say."

Kohana came back holding a tray laden with two steaming cups of tea. Kakashi and Jiraya both thanked her and sipped quietly. As he drank his tea, Kakashi stole glances at Kohana. Her eyes were red; she had undoubtedly been crying. Silence enveloped them, and all three stared in different directions, as if determined to not look at one another. Kohana finally broke it, her voice ringing loudly in the living room.

"Why did you never tell me after? Obito died. His grandmother passed away shortly after. And then I left Konoha because…because I thought I had no one left here." She shot Kakashi a quick apologetic glance, and added, "Things would have been different if you came."

Jiraya sighed, and ran a hand over his forehead before dragging it through his hair. He seemed to be lost as how to answer her. As she waited for his reply, Kohana examined both her visitors. They seemed exhausted beyond their years. She understood Kakashi's tired appearance was only temporary. A few hours of sleep and a healthy meal would cure him. After all, the number of missions Kakashi was assigned was second to no one. But, Jiraya looked like he had turned into an old man. She saw the wrinkles permanently etched beneath his eyes and at this moment, he looked frail and defeated.

But, this old man could fight, she thought. He made a name for himself long before she came into the world. He was a hero. And he dedicated his life to saving the world. He may have left her behind, but not before he made sure she had a happy childhood free of worries. A childhood that Kakashi and other children of Shinobi descent never could have. She suddenly had a distinct vision of when she found a young Irukua crying on a playground swing. His parents hadn't come home from a mission; they were two days late. It took several hours before Iruka calmed down after which he said to her, "You're so lucky you don't have shinobi in your family."

Perhaps all her father had been trying to do is make her happy in the way that he saw fit. Was that so wrong?

She sighed and said to her father, "Never mind. It's all right. I understand."

Jiraya looked at her with widened eyes and shared a glance with Kakashi,"You're not mad?"

Kohana laughed, "No. I'm not…Otosan"

Jiraya smiled sheepishly, "I thought this would have gone down a lot differently. I want you to know Kohana, I am really sorry. That despite my good intentions, what I did was wrong. A parent shouldn't leave their child."

Kohana agreed, "No, they shouldn't. But, you didn't leave me. You came back and that's what matters the most. We all make mistakes Otosan. Life is too short to hold grudges. I've learned that."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Kekkai Genkai

"Anyway, you said you knew something about why I am getting sick?"

Kakashi shifted on his seat so that now he leaned forward, his elbows digging into his knees.

"Tsunade-sama has a theory."

"And?"

"She believed you have a Kekkai Genkai."

"Is that some sort of illness?"

Jiraya roared with laughter, while Kakashi closed his eyes in exasperation.

"No, it's not. Sometimes, I forget how much you don't know. Still…not knowing what a Kekkai Genkai is. That too with me around."

"Well, then explain!" Kohana snapped.

"Alright. What am I known for, Kohana?"

"Being late." She was feeling giddy.

He glared at her silently.

Kohana giggled, "Okay, your Sharingan. You've copied, what, 1000 jutsus?"

"Hai, my Sharingan is a Kekkai Genkai. It's a special technique that allows me visual prowess incomparable to anyone, but the Uchiha."

"You only have it because Obito gave it to you. You're not an Uchiha."

Jiraya commented, "The Sharingan doesn't work as well for Kakashi as it would for an Uchiha. Nevertheless, he is remarkably skilled enough to wield it. It requires precise control of multiple chakra natures. Gaining that control becomes tougher when the Kekkai Genkai is not passed down genetically. Which, fortunately for you, is not the case."

"Okay. So, the both of you think I have a Kekkai Genkai. Why?"

"Your mother had it too. In fact, her whole clan possessed it. You started showing signs when you were six. You may not remember, but you fainted frequently. It wasn't until I researched your mother's background that we realized you were reacting to your Kekkai Genkai because you had no control over it."

"But, what is it?" Kohana insisted.

Kakashi replied, "It's based on medical ninjutsu. You're able to transfer your chakra to others in large amounts. Your chakra is able to permeate through space and fuse with another's reserve. It's an extraordinary talent. Unlike Tsunade-sama who has to rely on Katsuyu to carry her healing chakra to others, you only need to be in close proximity to provide yours."

Kohana let out a whoosh of breath. She said slowly, "That's amazing.

"It is. At the same time, it's also highly dangerous. That's why it's sealed."

"What!?"

Jiraya explained, "I placed a seal on you so that it wouldn't disturb your physical health. However, we don't have much familiarity with this Genkai and the seal is already weakening. Tsunade and I've decided it's time to teach you how to control it rather than perform another sealing. Like I said, Tsunade's not sure that would work anyway."

Kohana nodded, "Okay. Are you going to teach me?"

"No, I won't have time. Kakashi will do it."

"Oh." Kohana vividly remembered her last training session with the silver haired man. She wouldn't soon forget the soreness in her legs after she was forced to run laps.

Kakashi smirked as he recognized her tension, "Don't worry, Kohana. This is a matter of mental exertion."

Kohana sighed in relief, glad that at least this time her body wouldn't scream with aches.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: Hello Readers! Been a long time, but life's been busy :) I hope everyone is doing well! Please enjoy and review!

Chapter 24: Confessions

It was a bright morning. The sun shone directly above Kohana, its heat boring into her back, as she sat Indian style on the grassy ground. Her eyes were closed, and she twiddled her fingers as she took deep breaths, each varying in length.

"Stay still, Kohana."

Her eyes snapped open and she blinked rapidly as the light momentarily disoriented her. She glared at Kakashi who sat across her, observing her meditate.

"If this isn't still enough for you, then you're just going to have to paralyze me!"

Kakashi shook his head in exasperation, "You're not focusing. I can tell."

Kohana whined, "I don't know what to focus _on_ , Kakashi. How exactly is this supposed to help me, again?"

Kakashi stood up, extended his hand half way, and cupped his palm. Kohana watched him amass blue-white chakra that crackled ominously.

Kakashi spoke calmly, "Do you know what this is?"

Kohana's eyes slightly widened. She immediately recognized the shrill chirping, and of course had heard of Kakashi's most famous technique before. Yet, this was her first time seeing it live.

She whispered, "Chidori."

He nodded and then rammed his hand into the ground so fast that for one wild moment, Kohana thought his arm had disappeared. She then shrieked, and fell backward as the ground fractured into two halves, creating a 10-foot slit. Kohana crawled forward cautiously, and peered into the hole, where she noticed that it was only a few feet deep.

She looked up at Kakashi and frowned, "I expected it to do more damage."

Kakashi gestured for her to follow him. He led them to the edge of the vast field and stopped near a particularly large Sakura tree, before he answered, "It inflicts irreparable harm on a human body considering I generally attack my enemies with it.

Kohana gasped, "But, you could kill them!"

"I use it as a last resort", he said defensively, "It's an offensive attack."

His tone jolted Kohana's memory. She suddenly realized that it was this very technique that had killed Rin. She glanced at the fissure, now only barely visible, with horrified eyes. Had it done the same damage to Rin? Kakashi followed Kohana's gaze. He seemed to know what she was thinking, and he longed to change the subject. It was too painful for either of them to mull over. And he couldn't have her distracted by their past while she trained.

"Kohana", he said abruptly, "Chidori requires immense control, but your ability needs even more. I only need to direct my chakra into my right hand. You will need to permeate yours through your entire body, and maintain a grasp over its entry and exit. Unlike others, you are more prone to having chakra leak out. I don't think I need to explain why that would be dangerous."

Kohana answered solemnly, "I could die."

Kakashi nodded and crouched before her. He replied gently, "Yes. And neither your father nor I want that to happen. So, please, try harder for me."

 _Try harder for me._ Those words seemed to stir something in Kohana, and she felt a tingling sensation in her stomach. She quickly dismissed it, and said firmly, "Hai!"

The rest of the session, though, progressed with little improvement. Despite Kakashi's encouraging words and advice, Kohana only managed to enter a full meditative state once after several hours of effort. She groaned in frustration after Kakashi asked her to try again.

"Can we take a break?"

Kakashi checked his watch, "Actually, I think you're done for today. I'm going to need to think of another tactic to help you."

Kohan mumbled guitily, "This must be annoying you."

Kakashi helped her up and replied, "No, you're new to this. I don't expect you to master this the first day."

They walked towards the fissure where Kakashi stopped and frowned. He scratched the back of his head, and said quietly, "I'll need Yamato to fix this." He stared at it blankly, his mind racing back to unwanted memories. He clenched his fist as he remembered Rin's pained expression as he drove his Chidori into her. He blinked rapidly to banish the image, but to no avail. It became clearer than before and now he could see the blood flowing from her mouth as he held her unable to do anything more but stare in horror. He stood there gazing blankly before for several minutes before the touch of something soft and warm jerked him to the present. He looked at his right arm, and saw Kohana's fingers entwined with his. She looked up at him, a weak smile adorning her round face.

She whispered, "I know what you're thinking about."

Kakashi's eyes registered the concerned look on Kohana's face. He asked in a strained voice, "You do? What do you think of me now?"

"I think that you've suffered enough. I think…life has been too unfair to you."

Kakashi scoffed, and pulled her carefully around the gap, " It's worse for others."

He continued walking, gently dragging Kohana with him. His grip was firm; Kohana returned the pressure.

She said, "Kakashi, I don't blame you. What happened was not your fault."

When he didn't reply, Kohana grabbed his sleeve forcing him to stop. "Listen to me!"

He released her hand abruptly and swiveled around to face her. He stated plainly, "You don't hate me."

His sentence caught Kohana off guard, and she frowned, "What?"

He clarified, "You don't hate me, anymore. Why?"

"Kakashi, I've told you I'm sorry. And I'll say it again…"

Kakashi interrupted her, "No. I want to know what it is that you see in me that allowed you to forgive me. Because, Kohana, I'm still the same person who killed your best friend and failed to save your brother. You should hate me."

His conclusion irritated Kohana and she spoke in a rush, "But I'm not the same person and neither are you! Kakashi, you and I were very young when we lost them. I hated you because I didn't know what else to do. You survived and they both died, and although a part of me knew that it wasn't your fault, I still accused you. I needed to hold someone responsible, and my 11-year-old self chose you."

"And then I came back after 12 years only to see how much you have changed. I see so much of Rin and Obito in you that when I'm with you, I feel as if they haven't gone at all." She paused and confessed softly, "I can't hate you Kakashi because…because you're the only one I have left."

Kohana's words hung in the air, reverberating around them. She herself didn't know what she meant by her last statement. It sounded, though, as if she couldn't live without him. Kakashi observed her silently, ran a hand over his face, and tiredly chuckled, "I never imagined I would hear you say that. Life is truly full of surprises."

He then glanced at the darkening sky, and said,"We should get back. I have a mission early tomorrow morning."

Kohana half nodded at him and followed his trail. His stance was relaxed, but Kohana knew he was still preoccupied with their earlier conversation. She called out to him hoping to break his reverie, "Kakashi, why are you going on so many missions?"

He tilted his head towards her, and answered, "No more than the usual."

Kohana frowned, "You're barely around."

"Hmm", he mulled, turning back forward.

Kohana pressed on, "Is something wrong?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"Because-

"Kohana, we're just a little short on Jonin right now."

"Oh", she said skeptically, not believing him at all."Maybe you can ask for a break? I mean, isn't it a lot? Going on missions constantly and also training your team and me?"

Kakashi laughed, "You say that as if I have a choice. Shinobi go wherever and whenever we're needed. Don't worry about me."

"Hmph", Kohana scoffed. She then asked, "When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. A week, maybe."

Kohana blurted sadly, "That's a long time."

Kakashi sighed, "It can be, sometimes."

"I won't see you for a week."

"We'll restart training as soon as I get back."

"That's not what I meant", Kohana muttered softly.

Kakashi didn't say anything to this. He simply pulled out Icha Icha paradise, and flipped the book open to a marked page. Kohana frowned, and pushed her hands deeper into her pant pockets. She gazed into Kakashi's silver hair as they walked back home and wondered the real reason behind his frequent departures. It looked like they were keeping yet another truth from her.


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Note: Enjoy and Review or Favorite or Follow :)

Chapter 25: Men

Kakashi had been gone for much longer than a week. Kohana was starting to worry; what if something happened? It was on the 17th day of his absence that Kohana gave in to her worries and marched to the Hokage's office, an anxious expression etched onto her face.

Tsunade looked up in surprise when the door opened. "Kohana? What are you doing here?"

"I…I was wondering if Kakashi came back?"

Tsunade frowned and shuffled through her paperwork, "I haven't heard from him, yet. Why do you ask? Is it about your training?"

"No, he said he would be back in a week, and it's been 17 days."

"You counted?" Tsunade smirked.

Kohana blushed and kept silent. Tsunade glanced at her briefly before turning her attention to TonTon who leapt onto her lap. Kohana stared at the Hokage unsure of what to say or what to ask. Tsunade didn't know where Kakashi was and she had more important things to do than entertaining Kohana's worries.

Tsunade sighed, "I'm sure he is fine, Kohana. He's the most talented on-duty shinobi we have. I assure you he's been on more dangerous missions than this one."

"Why is it taking him so long then?" Kohana blurted. She bit her tongue; that came out more assertively than she meant.

Tsunade, however, smiled, "It maybe the weather, Kohana. You've noticed the rain, haven't you?"

"Yeah", Kohana mumbled, fingering the hem of her shirt. As she turned to leave, she said defeatedly, "Will you tell him to visit me when he gets back?"

Kohana heard a brief hai as she stepped out into the dusty hallway and closed the door behind her with a soft click.

She roamed the streets aimlessly keeping her eyes on the ground. The crowd of people around her cast her annoyed looks as she weaved through them forcing them to walk around her. She passed several stalls and her ears picked up short snippets of conversations that she would have normally found interesting. But, her mind was presently too occupied with foreboding thoughts to pay any attention to the surrounding discussions. She gasped lightly as her shoulder collided with someone's chest. She uttered a quick apology and cast them a cursory glance. She was about to walk away when her eyes registered the unmistakably spiky white hair. Her head snapped up to see Jiraya grinning widely.

"Outou-san!" Kohana exclaimed.

Jiraya chuckled and brought Kohana into a warm hug. "How are you doing, Kohana?"

"I'm fine. How about yourself? What are you doing here?"

They set up off the road together. Jiraya answered, "I am back in Konoha for a short while. I've just gone to see Tsunade. She told me you stopped by and asked about Kakashi."

Kohana nodded, and then said dryly, "She wouldn't tell me anything about his mission."

Jiraya chuckled, "You're not supposed to know. It's strictly classified."

"Well, that's stupid", she said angrily. "What do families do when their loved ones don't return? Are they supposed to sit quietly without any information because it's _classified_?"

Jiraya regarded her seriously, "I understand your point, but what if leaking information to even trusted family members resulted in placing an entire village at risk."

"But, why would Kakashi's mission…", she began, and then looked at her father with horrified eyes, "I knew it. I knew something was up. He lied to me. Konoha is in danger, isn't it?"

"Now, Kohana, don't jump to conclusions."

Kohana snapped, "I am not jumping to conclusions! Outo-san, I live next to Kakashi. I see how often he's gone, how tired he is. And when I've asked him, he's dodged all my questions."

"What did he tell you?"

"That it was nothing for me to worry about. That Hokage-sama needed him because we're short of Jonin, right now. That's bullshit. I checked the register the other day and we have over 300 Jonin."

Jiraya sighed, "You are much more perceptive than I thought."

"Does that mean I'm right?"

"How about we discuss this in a more private place? I know a good tea shop about half a mile from here."

Five minutes later, the both of them were sitting at a secluded table away from the prying eyes and ears of customers. Kohana leaned eagerly towards her father, and asked, "What's going on?"

Jiraya heaved and murmured, "Tsunade will kill me. But, I don't see the point hiding it any longer. I'd rather you hear it from me than from your own…investigations."

Kohana clicked her tongue impatiently.

"Kakashi has been sent out on missions ordered by me. I have need of his tracking skills. In other words, he's more or less a spy."

"A spy for what?" Kohana whispered, her eyes dilated.

"We have reason to believe that the Jinchuriki are under attack by an unknown entity. He's gathering Intel."

"Jinchuriki…like Naruto? People that house tailed beasts?"

"Yes. The beasts have power beyond our imagination. Acquiring that power would be an asset to any nation. I suspected at first that it maybe the Sound or Mist, but it doesn't appear as if they're behind it."

"Then, who is?"

"An organization, going by the name of the Akatsuki. It's composed entirely of extremely powerful rogue shinobi."

"But, why would they risk getting caught by Anbu or the police force?"

Jiraya shrugged and sipped his tea; "It doesn't make sense to me either. Whatever their goal is, it involves Tailed Beast chakra, which together could possibly destroy this entire world."

Kohana sat in silence, pondering. She then asked, "Don't we need to keep Naruto safe? Shouldn't he be taken away to a place where no one can find him?"

Jiraya nodded, "That's the eventual plan. Hopefully, it won't be necessary. But, first, I will need to train him so that he can defend himself if need be." He smiled warmly, "This will be our second trip together."

Kohana returned his smile reluctantly, "That's nice."

"Are you still worried about Kakashi?"

Kohana sighed, and rubbed her arm, "No, I'm relieved that you know where he is and I assume you're in contact with him. I just wish he would come home soon."

Jiraya folded his hands and leaned back, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. He remarked, "I have something to keep you occupied in the mean time." He reached into his large backpack, pulled out a small orange book, and handed it to Kohana. She turned the book over and examined its covers.

"Hang on", she said slowly, "I've seen this somewhere. This is the book Kakashi always reads! He never lets me see it!"

Jiraya snickered, "I can guess why. But, don't open it here. This book…should be read in private."

Kohana raised her eyebrow, and read the title out loud, "Icha Icha Paradise. It sounds like a fluffy romance novel. I wonder who the author is…it doesn't say."

Jiraya hastily picked up his belongings, and said quickly, "It's a great book, selling fast nationwide. The author prefers to remain anonymous. Anyway, I have to go now, but I'll see you for dinner tonight. I'm taking Kakashi's team out for barbecue."

Kohana nodded absentmindedly, and nimbly tore through the plastic wrapping that covered the book. Jiraya shot her an amused look and dashed out of the teashop, his hair swaying behind him.

Kohana looked up from her present and watched his figure retreat into the crowd. She sighed and plopped the orange book open. 'Finally', she thought, 'I can see what's so fascinating about this."

She began reading the first page, and as soon as she finished the first paragraph, she snapped the book shut. Her cheeks flushed with heat. She shoved the book inside her coat, and muttered, "Men."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Maria

 **Author's Note: HAPPY THANKSGIVING to those in the United States! A HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to all my wonderful readers, and to all the follows/favorites/ reviews. Thank you so much for encouraging me to write! I am loving this hobby more and more by the day.**

The barbecue spot was full of noise and laughter. When Kohana, Jiraya and the rest of Kakashi's team walked in, Asuma's team bombarded all of them. Kohana spotted Kurenai on the right of Asuma and waved to her. Ino and Choji dragged Naruto, Sai, and Sakura to their table where Shikamaru sat lazily, his eyes closed and arms folded. Asuma called out, "Jiraya-sama, Kohana-chan. Over here."

They pushed their way through the tables and reached the booth. Kohana slid in next to Kurenai while Jiraya sat on the left of Asuma. Kohana noticed that the both of them had their menus propped open.

"Didn't order yet?"

Kurenai replied, "No, we've just arrived."

"Where's your team, Kurenai?"

"Oh, they wanted to spend some time with their families."

Kohana giggled, "And you wanted to spend some time with Asuma, right?"

Kurenai and Asuma both blushed, and seeing Asuma flush red threw Kohana into another fit of laughter. Jiraya chuckled along with her, "Now, Kohana. That's enough."

Kohana hiccupped, "Sorry. But all jokes apart, I am really happy for you."

Kurenai smiled brightly, "Thank you, Kohana. We are too. I never imagined that I would have met such a wonderful person, and I certainly didn't think we would come this far."

Kohana tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

Kurenai glanced towards Asuma, and said, "Some Shinobi at our level at least are not very willing to partake in relationships. First, there's always the matter of time and energy. But, most importantly, it's about the things we see and the people we lose. It's hard to commit yourself to someone when you don't know what's in store for the next day."

Jiraya agreed and said proudly, jerking his thumb towards Naruto, "It's a hard life. But, look at Minato and Kushina, and whom they've brought into this world. When it's meant to be, it will be."

Asuma added, "That's true. It's good that I love Kurenai so much. Every day with her is worth it."

Kurenai smiled blissfully and extended her hand across the table to squeeze Asuma's. Kohana gazed longingly at their entwined hands, and said softly to her, "I wonder if that will happen to me."

Kurenai withdrew her hand and said, "Of course, Kohana! I'm sure you will find someone you love." She then said teasingly, "Then again, I think you already have."

Kohana blushed, and swatted her arm. She changed the topic, "Let's order. I'm hungry."

The dinner passed quickly. Asuma, Kurenai and Jiraya managed to divert Kohana's mind furom Kakashi's travels. Kohana mostly listened to her father recount stories about his childhood. Asuma especially enjoyed these tales as they included his father scolding Jiraya for his frequent bouts of ineptitude.

Naruto's table was located right behind Kohana's, and she caught snippets of their conversations as well. Naruto was boasting about his upcoming training trip with Jiraya, and excited about the new jutsus he would likely learn. Ino and Sakura were naturally quarrelling. Kohana giggled when she saw Shikamaru's bored expression as he idly watched his teammates converse. His posture suddenly reminded her of Kakashi, and she felt her stomach lurch.

She shook her head forcibly, and told herself, "He's fine. He will come back." Kohana didn't understand why she missed Kakashi so much. He was a friend, and she was sure that they had never seen each other as anything more than friends. But, why was it that she worried about him constantly, felt the need to see him, talk to him? Was Kurenai right? Had she fallen in love?

Kohana felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see that Jiraya and the others had stood up. She saw a hefty wad of bills neatly placed on top of the bill.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I paced out for a moment. Are we done?"

She followed the others out the door and they exchanged quick goodbyes. Jiraya told her that he would see her tomorrow, and walked her back to her apartment. Kohana entered her flat and took a quick shower before changing into comfortable nightclothes and plopping onto the bed. She felt refreshed after having taken a bath and smiled contently as she wrapped the comforter around herself.

Several hours later, though, she woke to a quiet shuffling. Her eyes flew open and she sat up straight trying to adjust her eyes to the dark. The pale moonlight that filtered through her curtains illuminated the room just enough for her to make out a silhouette of a small moving…dog.

"Pakkun!" she screeched, her voice raspy.

The dog jumped onto her legs and told her, "Don't be so loud!"

"What? Why?" Kohana whispered.

"Kakashi's asleep."

Kohana asked cheerfully, "He's back? Hold on…why are you here?"

"Look to your left."

Kohana turned her head, and her mouth dropped open. Kakashi Hatake was asleep on her bed, turned on his side, wearing a pair of pants, a tight fitted black shirt and his mask.

Pakkun explained, "His shower stopped working. He forgot to pay the bill. I hope you don't mind that he used yours."

Kohana stammered, "No, of course not. But, why is he sleeping in my bed?"

Pakkun sighed, "I'm sorry about that. Apparently, he was too tired. I told him you might not take it well."

"No, it's okay", Kohana said quickly.

Pakun raised an eyebrow, "Huh."

Kohana amended herself, "I mean. It's fine. He just got back from a mission. Obviously, if it was any other day, I would have kicked him out."

Pakkun just shrugged, and mentally thought, 'I doubt so.'

Kohana clapped her hands softly, and said happily, "Well, Pakkun, do you need anything?"

"No, I think I'll go now."

Kohana nodded, "Alright, goodnight."

She watched him vanish in a poof, and swallowed nervously. She quietly walked over to her closet, pulled out a comforter, and tiptoed to Kakashi. She slowly laid the comforter on his figure before shuffling over to her side of the bed, where she laid down her back facing Kakashi. She took a couple of deep breaths and smiled contently. Her eyes closed, and she fell back into a deep sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open as she registered something hard underneath her head. Her eyes widened as she appreciated her current position. During the night, she had somehow managed to snuggle her way into Kakashi's arm, which was draped around her. He was still fast asleep completely unaware of their close proximity.

Kohana hyperventilated and she made an attempt to extract herself from Kakashi's hold.

'Of course', she thought sardonically, 'even asleep, he's unbelievably strong.'

She admitted defeat on her 5th try, and just lay rigid trying her best to minimize any contact and desperately hoping that he would at least move. As she waited, she wondered whether sleeping with his mask was something he did every night. She felt a sudden urge to rip the mask from his face, as she did not know what lay beneath. She thought she wouldn't get a better chance since Kakashi was asleep and at his lowest defense.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she shifted slightly so that she could touch the edge of the black fabric. She pulled it down an inch, and stopped, watching for any sign of unrest. His eyes remained closed. She continued to pull the mask down, but stopped halfway in disappointment. Of course, she had not revealed his face, but another mask.

"What does he need two masks for?"

"To stop people like you from invading my privacy", Kakashi said abruptly in a joking tone.

Kohana snatched her hand away from him.

"You're awake!"

"Good morning, Kohana."

Kohana narrowed her eyes, "How long have you been awake?"

"I've just woken up." He then looked at his hand, which encircled Kohana. He said sheepishly, "Ah. I apologize. I should have taken the couch."

He retracted his arm, and allowed Kohana to move back a few inches.

Kohana murmured something inaudible to which Kakashi didn't respond. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched.

"What time is it?"

Kohana glanced at her alarm clock, "10:00."

Kakashi cursed, "I'm late."

Kohana said, "Well, that's not unusual."

"I'm supposed to have met someone at the gates 15 minutes ago."

"Who?"

"Maria."

"Well, that's descriptive."

Kakashi answered, "Tsunade-sama appointed her as your second trainer."

"But, you're going to train me." Kohana said this forcefully.

"I'll be there whenever I can, but as you've noticed yourself, I've been away for long periods. I don't want my absence to interfere with your training."

Kohana tilted her head, and asked innocently, "Have you learned anything new about the Akatsuki?"

Kakashi's eyes widened, "How did you know about the Akatsuki?"

Kohana laughed, and led the way into the living room, "My father."

Kakashi shook his head in exasperation. " It's none of your concern, Kohana", he said sternly, "Anyway, thank you for letting me stay. I forgot to pay my rent."

Kohana scowled but said, "Anytime."

"I'll see you soon. I'll arrange a meeting with Maria so that you can meet her. She's your age. I'm sure you both will get along."

"Right."

"Ja ne!" he waved, before rushing out the front door, leaving a slightly irritated Kohana behind.

She traipsed to her kitchen for a cup of coffee, grumbling, "I don't need _Maria_. I need you." Kohana didn't know it then, but she had definitely fallen in love.


	27. Chapter 27

Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I sincerely apologize for the delay! I did not stop writing. Please bear with me as I get back into weekly updates!I hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday break, and also this chapter. Please Review. Much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 27: Realization

Maria was gorgeous, with thick black hair that cascaded down her back in waves. She had a beautiful smile that showed straight pearly white teeth, and a figure toned repeatedly with exercise. She leaned casually against the tree as she spoke with Kakashi. From what Kohana could see, Maria reached Kakashi's height.

Normally, with any other woman, Kohana may have noticed all these qualities and thought nothing of them. But, upon seeing Maria from even a distance, she felt insecure and self-conscious. She patted her hair nervously trying to smooth out any frizzy strands. She pulled her shirt down and took a deep breath before walking towards the pair. She felt a twinge of irritation at seeing the proximity between Kakashi and Maria. She quickly dismissed it and plastered a smile onto her face and waved to the pair. When she reached them, Kakashi introduced her.

"Kohana, this is Maria. Maria, this is Kohana."

Kohana noticed the lack of honorifics. She internally frowned, but bowed, "Nice to meet you, Maria-san."

Maria ignored her greeting and raised an arched eyebrow. "I was just telling Kakashi I never expected to run across another member of the Shiori-clan", she said.

Kohana scrunched her forehead and asked, "I'm sorry, the Shiori-clan?"

"You don't know your own history."

Kohana bristled slightly, "I was never aware. I've only recently found out."

Maria replied, leaning back agains the tree, her foot tapping the ground, " I am surprised you didn't inquire about this earlier. The fainting spells, tiredness, frequent hospital visits -and not to mention the seal, should have alerted you." She then sighed, and straightened herself, "Anyway,if you are to train with me, I expect you to be more observant and display interest and curiosity – outside of our sessions as well."

Kohana looked to Kakashi for help, astounded that someone could be so straight-forward and authoritative. He explained, "Maria's grandfather was a close acquaintance with the Shiori. He was familiar with your Kekkai Genkai – information that he passed down to his granddaughter. Maria is well trained in chakra sensory and manipulation. She runs an academy for young shinobi who wish to specialize in chakra handling. As per the Hokage's request, she's taken valuable time off to train you."

"Oh." Kohana mumbled.

Maria then turned to Kakashi, and offered him a dashing smile, "Thank you for accompanying me, Kakashi. Please tell Tsunade-sama that I am much satisfied with the hospitality here."

Kakashi grinned, "My pleasure. I'll leave you both to it then." He then turned to Kohana, "Learn well. I'll check on you later."

Kohana nodded and watched his figure retreat dismally. She jumped slightly when Maria brushed past her shoulder, heading towards town.

Kohana noticed she walked quickly with long strides and she rushed to keep up.

Maria talked, " The Shiori clan was famous for their ability to transform and transmit Chakra. I will be teaching you how to handle yours. Kakashi has already told me that you don't have an aptitude for this skill."

Kohana pursed her lips, annoyed, "Kakashi-san."

Maria stopped in her tracks, "What?"

"It's Kakashi-san."

Maria made a small sound and replied, ignoring her previous statement, "I'll give you a few books to read for tomorrow. They're your mother's journals. You'll find them highly informative."

Kohana asked, "My mother kept journals?"

"Your mother was significantly advanced in chakra manipulation. Her notes will guide you."

"Thank you."

They walked in silence until they reached Maria's apartment, which was a short distance from Kohana's. Maria entered her neat rooms and quickly returned with a bundle of books. She handed her three black journals each engraved with a small half-crescent moon.

Maria noticed her fingers trace the outline of the white figure, and said, "That symbol represents the Shiori clan. It signifies serenity."

She then said, "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 pm. Meet me on the training grounds."

Kohana spent all her day perusing through her journals. Her eager eyes scanned the pages quickly and fervently absorbing the words in detail. The diary started out with a basic introduction on chakra and the various types before delving into the method of manipulation. Kohana was halfway through the second book when she came across a passage that piqued her interest.

Chakra Bonding:

 _As I've mentioned, transferring chakra is a helpful gesture, especially to those who are in dire need of energy. But, it can also be an intimate one. Chakra bonding is a form of chakra transfer that involves significant chakra depletion on behalf of the donor. The massive amount of chakra transferred creates a nearly irreversible bond between donor and acceptor that allows the latter to feed on the donor's chakra as needed. Very few in our clan's history have forged a bond – an unsurprising fact. The connection requires an intense emotional attachment, and the strength of the bond is dependent on this feeling. If the donor succeeds, he or she is doing it at his or her own peril. The donor can lose over a quarter to half of chakra in a short span of time, which can lead to death or prolonged unconsciousness. Yet, for those who decide to forge this bond, this risk is incomparable to the fear of losing a loved one._

Kohana's fingers traced her mother's words, mumbling the passage softly. Many questions arose in her mind.

 _What was the chance of surviving?_

 _And if the donor survived, how did that bond affect the relationship between the donor and acceptor?_

 _And how did her mom know so much about this bond – was she one of the few who performed the chakra bond?_

 _And the moon – it kept propping up on every page – why was it so significant?_

Kohana clasped the diary shut and sprang up from her chair, stretching her limbs. She glanced at the clock. It read 8:00 pm. Would it be rude to visit Maria at this hour? She scoffed inwardly thinking that Maria wasn't too kind this morning either. She mused about this and traipsed to her closet and pulled out her red coat. Maria did say to show curiosity outside of her lessons – Kohana deduced she wouldn't be too angry if she paid a short visit.

As she walked outside into the cool nite, she collided into several well-dressed couples, including Kurenai and Asuma.

Kurenai wore a tight-fitting red dress that shimmered in the moonlight and her arm was interlocked with Asuma's.

Kohana greeted them, "Both of you look nice. Is there a special occasion tonight? I've seen several fancily attires walk past me."

Kurenai laughed, "Yes. There's a new restaurant in town, and it's opening night. It's a formal event – hence our clothes."

"Oh, I didn't know!" She looked behind the pair at the looming party lights, and said, "I wish I could come!"

Asuma asked somewhat reluctantly, "Would you like to join us?"

Kohana politely declined, not wanting to intrude upon their privacy, "No, thank you. I've already had dinner. But, I hope the both of you enjoy your night!"

They both bid her a good night and walked towards shining lights in the distance. Kohana followed a few feet behind them, and soon saw the blaring sign that read,

"OPENING NIGHT. COUPLES ONLY. FORMAL ATTIRE."

Kohana wondered if Kakashi was among the crowd that was entering the oak doors, but smiled at the thought. A lot about Kakashi changed, but she doubted that he would willingly attend a party.

She soon found herself in front of Maria's apartment and climbed the three staircases that would lead her to Maria's door.

She stopped abruptly at the end of the corridor for she had seen the man that she had just been thinking about –a man that was currently holding a bouquet of red roses and was scratching his head nervously as he spoke with someone.

Kohana eyes remained fixated on the glistening flowers, as she slowly shuffled her way towards Kakashi. The sound of her footsteps made him turn around, allowing Kohana to see his conversation partner – Maria.

Kohana's mind registered both their clothing at once. Kakashi's gray vest contrasted nicely with Maria's long black dress. Kohana couldn't help but think that Maria looked astonishing, the deep V-neck plunging just enough to entice any man.

She felt anger bubbling in her stomach at the sight of the pair. Her hands formed into tight fists, and tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away rapidly.

"Kohana", Kakashi said, surprised, "what are you doing here?"

Her voice sounded dry and hollow when she replied, "I wanted to ask Maria-san a few questions."

Maria took a few steps forward, and interlinked her arm with Kakashi's.

"I'll be out tonight, Kohana. Kakashi asked me to accompany him to the new restaurant down the road. It will be late when I return."

Kohana licked her lips and said stiffly, "I see. Have fun, then."

She turned around to leave not wanting to be in their presence any longer.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and then heard Kakashi's voice. Her arms went rigid as she prepared herself to hear what he had to say. Maybe an explanation for what he was doing tonight. Maybe it was just on the Hokage's orders. Maybe their little outing tonight was purely professional. Yes, she would like to hear that.

But, she was disappointed when Kakashi spoke.

"I forgot to pass along a message to you earlier. Jiraya-sama wanted to tell you that he'll be leaving for his trip with Naruto tonight. He and Naruto might stop by. Please tell them I said safe travels. I won't return on time to visit them. Maria wants to see the fireworks at midnight."

So it wasn't professional. How could she have forgotten. Tomorrow was the Sakura Festival. The opening night of the restaurant wasn't random at all.

Kohana replied softly without looking at him, her eyes burning again,"Ok."

She stared ahead as Kakashi and Maria walked around her, arm in arm. Maria's voice filled the quiet hall as they passed her. If Kohana's eyes weren't so blurred, she would have noticed the backward glance the Kakashi threw her as he turned the corner.

Kohana took a deep breath and staggered slowly down the stairs, allowing the tears to now fall freely.

Kurenai was right. She had fallen in love.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: I think this is the longest chapter I've wrote. Enjoy!

Chapter 28: Maria's Story

By the time Kohana reached her apartment, it was well past 10:00 pm. She had roamed the roads mindlessly, taking to dark, secluded routes between various buildings. The tears on her face had dried, and her eyes stung from the chilly air. She rushed into the bathroom and splashed water onto her face, letting out a shaky sigh. Her eyes were red, and her skin was dry. She bit her lip and shook her head, feeling angry with herself.

She whispered, "Why him? Of all people, why him? He doesn't even feel that way about me and I can never expect him to. Not after all that I've accused him of." A tiny hopeful voice in her head muttered, "You don't know that." Kohana snapped at herself, " The way he looks at Maria… any fool would realize he likes her."

A sudden rap on her door made her jump.

"Kohana, it's me", Jiraya's voice called.

Kohana called back, "I'm coming. In the bathroom."

She let out a heavy breath, and squeezed the lotion bottle on her bathroom counter, massaging a blot on to her face and neck.

She bit her lip and went to open the door, hoping that her two visitors wouldn't notice her distress.

"Kohana-nee-chan!" Naruto said happily.

"Hi, Naruto", Kohana smiled, feeling a little relaxed after seeing his joyous face, "Are you all set for your journey?"

Naruto plopped himself down on the couch, and leaned back. "Yes! Ero-senin says we will leave in an hour."

Kohana frowned, "Ero-senin?"

Jiraya chuckled, sitting down next to Naruto, shaking off his enormous green backpack onto the sofa, "That would be me."

Kohana raised an eyebrow, showing her confusion.

Naruto looked at her expression and sniggered, "I can't believe you don't know. Ero-senin's means Pervy Sage. It suits Jiraya-sensei perfectly."

"Naruto!" Kohana said sternly, "He's your elder. That's no way to speak about him."

Jiraya laughed, "It's quite alright, Kohana. I am used to it."

Naruto continued, "Believe me, Kohana-nee-chan. I spend half my time dragging him away from bathhouses. How else do you think he writes – OW!"

Naruto glared at Jiraya who had slapped him hard on the knee. Jiraya said loudly, "Now, now Naruto. Why don't you go fill our water bottles? We'll be leaving shortly."

Naruto reluctantly pulled out two large bottles, one red and the other black, and grumbled, "I'm not your servant, Ero-senin."

Jiraya pushed him none too gently towards the kitchen, in which a few seconds later they heard running water. Jiraya cleared his throat and said in a nonchalant voice, "I thought you wouldn't be in tonight."

"Why?" Kohana asked, confused, and distracted from Naruto's words.

"There are celebrations tonight for the festival. I thought you would be attending those with your friends."

Kohana grimaced, "Kurenai and Asuma have gone together. I didn't want to intrude."

"What about Kakashi?"

Kohana swallowed, and tried to say indifferently, "He has other plans."

Jiraya pondered, "Other plans?"

"Yeah, I saw Kakashi-sensei walking with a woman to that new grill and bar. She was holding his arm! I wonder if she knows what Kakashi sensei's face looks like." Naruto had returned, his hands holding filled water bottles.

"A woman?", Jiraya asked, surprise lacing his tone.

Kohana replied in a hollow voice, "Maria."

"Ah, Maria-chan is in town?"

Kohana threw her father a sharp look, "You know her?"

"Of course I do. Tsunade and I met her on our travels several years back. We had business with her grandfather, about you, actually. He was a close acquaintance with the Shiori clan. He helped us create the seal we later placed on you. Maria was very young then, but the both of us saw the aptitude she had for manipulating chakra. The things she did with her own chakra! It was I who suggested her for training you. I didn't expect though for Tsunade to call her in so soon."

"I see."

"She is a wonderful person, Kohana. You're very lucky to have her teach you."

Kohana pursed her lips, and said sardonically, "Indeed."

Jiraya appeared to have missed her sarcasm and continued, "So young Kakashi has found himself a dating partner."

Naruto snickered, "I can't wait to tell Sakura-chan."

"Now, now, Naruto. I don't see you taking anyone. I told you we could leave tomorrow if you had any plans."

Naruto flushed and retorted, "Yeah, well. It's for old people like you and Kakashi-sensei anyway."

Jiraya chuckled, and then turned to Kohana, "Well, Kohana. We'll be going now…take care."

Kohana stood up to bid them goodbye. "Have a safe journey."

Jiraya nodded and Naruto gave her a brief goodbye hug.

After the pair left, Kohana made her way to bed, and slammed the windows down, drowning out the sight and noise of the booming fireworks. Somewhere among that crowd that was delightedly watching the spectacle, she knew that Maria and Kakashi were sitting side by side. She tried to banish that thought and fell into a restless sleep with confusing dreams about weddings displaying Kakashi and Maria in wedding attire, snippets from her mother's journals and finally the half-crescent moon.

The next morning, Kohana awoke groggily, and irritably. She thought about yesterday's events and her father's words and sighed, trying to come to terms with the present. A crow cawed outside and she looked through her small, rectangular window. It was an overcast day, and she was to spend part of it outside under the gloomy clouds with probably her least favorite person in the world right now.

Kohana knew her feelings towards Maria were unwarranted. The people she trusted most thought, aside from her straightforward personality, that Maria was fair and intelligent. Even a "wonderful person". It certainly wasn't her fault that Kakashi asked her to dinner, and not Kohana. Despite wanting to blame her, Kohana knew she couldn't. While Kohana wouldn't consider Maria a friend anytime soon, Kohana's instinct told her that she wasn't her enemy in any sense.

And so Kohana readied herself for the day with a determined expression on her face. She wouldn't let her feelings and personal life deter her training, especially when what she could do saved lives. After she showered, gulfed down cereal, she spent the rest of the morning finishing reading her mother's journals. At 2:00 pm, she briskly walked towards the training grounds with a mental list of questions.

When Kohana reached the hilly terrain, Maria was already waiting with Kakashi. Kohana's heart jumped at the sight of him, and she took a steadying breath to calm herself. She walked towards them, keeping her eyes from traveling to Kakashi.

"Good morning, Kohana", Maria greeted.

"Good morning", she replied. Then she added somewhat hesitantly, just to be polite, "I hope you had a nice night."

Maria replied, "The fireworks were superb. Kakashi took me to the topmost hill, and the view was spectacular."

Kohana bit her cheek at this but otherwise ignored the statement. She instead asked directly, "What will you be teaching me? I've read all three journals. I have a few questions as well."

Maria raised her eyebrows and circled around her, "You're eager to start. The both of us were actually wondering if you wanted to join us for the festival today. There's only an hour or so left."

Kohana tried her best to reply normally. But her voice was still slightly cold, "I have a lot to learn from you, Maria-san. I don't think we should waste our time attending the festival. After all there's only an hour left and probably not much to see at this point." She then added shortly, "The festivities last night are always the best."

Maria glanced at Kakashi who sighed, "The both of us can still go Maria. I know you don't get to see the festival often."

Maria shrugged, "Not a big deal, Kakashi. There's always next year. Plus, I promised Kohana that I would train her today. Anyway, Kohana, let me hear your questions."

"One minute", Kohana said before turning to Kakashi. She asked in a chilling voice, surprised at her own tone, "Are you watching me train?"

Kakashi walked towards her, his hands deep in his pockets, and replied simply choosing to ignore her unusually stern expression, "No, Sakura, Sai and I will be leaving on a mission shortly. I need to prepare as it may last a few weeks."

Kohana just nodded. Normally, she would have pestered him about the mission, but she was glad that he would be gone. She knew he would be safe with Sakura and Sai. Now, she could at least focus on her sessions without having her thoughts deviate towards him.

Maria bid Kakashi goodbye and then asked Kohana, "You seem angry with him."

Kohana replied, "It's nothing."

Maria took a deep breath, "Alright. What do you want to know?"

Kohana immediately responded, "The Chakra Bond. It's extremely interesting, and quite powerful. How exactly does it work?"

Maria frowned, "I wouldn't know. It's forbidden."

"What? But, my mother wrote about it."

Maria traced a finger along the bark of a tree and said, "Your mother wasn't supposed to know so much about it. She had a knack for finding out about secrets. If she hadn't had that ability, she wouldn't have been able to write those journals."

"She was snooping around? Why did she have to do that?"

"She wasn't snooping. She had a right to that knowledge –information that her elders kept from her to ensure her 'safety'. She was one of the many in her clan that possessed your Genkai, and was also born into a time where it was highly sought out. Many attacks were made on the Shiori clan by enemy lands, and several lives were lost."

"Eventually, the clan leaders deemed it best that they suppress the Kekkai Genkai to hide from enemies. They sought my grandfather's help, which created the seal you currently have. But, as you know, the seal is not permanent. Your mother experienced the same effects you had, and she demanded to know what was happening. Her persistence led her to her answers. Usually, the clan would reseal Genkai users every few years, but your mother refused to let them do the same with hers. since then, she practiced the art of chakra transfer, and learned a great deal. All of which she penned into those three books. "

Kohana marveled in silence, still trying to wrap her mind around her clan's history.

She then asked, "Did my mother perform a chakra bond before?"

And to Kohana's surprise, Maria's voice became suddenly stern, "No. She did not. And I ask you to not dwell on that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a life threatening procedure. You've read about it. You know that loss of chakra in such massive amounts can lead to death. But, there's something your mother did not mention. Something she didn't know herself."

Kohana asked eagerly, "What is it?"

Maria took a deep breath and swallowed, "That the bond is permanent. Once you establish that connection, you have very little control of your chakra flow to your respective partner. Anytime your partner is in significant need of energy, he or she can take it from you without your permission. You're basically giving them access to your own lifeline."

She then added slowly, "I've…I've seen it happen."

"Oh, well it, makes sense", Kohana said casually.

Maria scoffed, "Makes sense? You're giving your life away to someone whom you can no longer spend your life with."

Kohana frowned, "But, isn't love worth it?"

Maria said darkly, "It's not worth it. I wish it didn't exist."

Kohana was about to question before Maria stopped her. "We're not here to discuss the merits of the bond, Kohana. It's forbidden."

Kohana scowled, "My mom didn't say it was forbidden."

"Your mother was one of the few that endorsed it", Maria snapped.

Kohana smirked, "Like mother, like daughter."

Maria took a long look at Kohana and agreed simply, "Yes, that seems to be the case. I should warn you Kohana that I'll be reporting our training sessions to Tsunade-sama."

Kohana laughed, surprising even herself, "Alright, Maria-san. I understand it's forbidden. Plus, when would I ever be in a situation that would require me to use it? I'm not a shinobi, remember?"

Maria shrugged, " Hopefully not. What's your next question?"

"Well, seeing that most of my questions are related to the bond, I don't think you'll be willing to answer them."

Maria pursed her lips and muttered something about being too curious. She said, "That's right. I'm only here to teach you to control your chakra fluctuations and perform minimal amounts of chakra transfer. Our hope is that these fainting spells you've had will stop."

Kohana sighed, "Alright. Let's get on with it then."

The next two weeks had rendered a huge improvement in Kohana's ability to detect chakra flow. The training was rigorous. Kohana spent 12 hours of her day with Maria perfecting her Genkai. The remaining free time she used to sleep and eat, and reflect. She marveled at how much she actually enjoyed spending time with Maria. As she got to know her better, she was better able to appreciate her personality.

Kohana was now able to direct small amounts to various places in her body including her hands and feet. On the 15th day of her training, Maria gave her a rare compliment.

"You learn fast", she said.

Kohana smiled, "Thank you. I'm determined to follow my mother's footsteps."

Maria nodded, "That's a respectable goal. I'm happy that our time together has helped you. Now you have a solid foundation on which you can learn chakra transfer between bodies. Anyone from the Hyuuga clan can aid you in this. The principle is simple and all it requires is extensive practice."

Kohana frowned, chugging down water. She asked, "Won't you be teaching me?"

"I've received a letter from my hometown. My grandfather has taken ill. I must leave tomorrow."

Kohana offered her condolences, "I am sorry to hear that."

Maria sighed, "Old age. What can I say?" She watched the sun set quietly. She added after a few minutes, "My grandfather raised me. It's hard to watch him struggle with his health."

Kohana nodded, "I understand. It will give you some peace if you're by his side."

Maria agreed, "The only thing is I won't be able to say goodbye to Kakashi. I don't believe he will return tomorrow."

Kohana bit her cheek, still sensitive about Kakashi's and Maria's relationship, and said hesitantly, "I'm sure you can leave him a note. I can give it to him."

Maria laughed, "That won't be necessary. He'll understand why I had to leave."

Kohana raised her eyebrow and said skeptically, "You want to leave without giving him any notice? I thought you two were…"

"In a relationship?" Maria suggested, a small smile adorning her face.

Kohana blushed lightly and stammered defensively, "He took you out that night."

"As a friend."

Kohana couldn't help but mutter, "That event was for couples."

Maria cocked her head slightly in agreement, and said, "You're right. Then again, we both know that Kakashi isn't experienced in…relationships. He asked, and it would have been rude of me to decline."

Kohana blurted, "You could have explained to him." Kohana flushed again at her outburst and murmured, "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

Maria laughed again, "Of course it is your business as you're in love with him."

Kohana's eyes widened in shock, and spluttered, "No…that's not it. I was just being too curious."

"You're a horrible liar, Kohana. To ease your mind, let me tell you that I feel nothing for Kakashi other than friendship. We are comrades and I apologize if we did not seem that way. You on the other hand are absolutely in love with him. Am I right?"

Kohana smiled shyly and said in a small voice, "Yes, you are. I want to be with him. And when I am, I can't say in words how happy I feel."

Maria returned her smile wistfully and sighed, "I know what you mean."

Kohana questioned timidly, "You do?"

Maria sighed again, "I've been in love, Kohana, with a man that I consider to be my life. His name was Beniro, and I met him when I was a teenager. He was a charismatic, charming man who understood me in ways that no else had ever done before. We fell in love."

She paused, and Kohana registered with surprise that Maria had tears in her eyes.

Kohana scrunched her forehead in confusion while Maria continued darkly, "The day he proposed to me was the happiest day of my life. I imagined that my future would be just as content. You see, Kohana, Beniro was a skilled shinobi of the Shiori clan. Because of his expertise as a fighter, the clan leaders gave him special permission to hone his Kekkai Genkai. They believed it would be useful to have him join the ANBU medical unit. They approached my grandfather who agreed to teach him. His sessions would take place at night in a dark cave guarded by several Shiori shinobi. Only the three of us were permitted inside. "

Maria then said with a scoff, "After all, the leaders still wanted to ensure that no one knew about Beniro. He was an incredibly talented student and mastered the art in less than a month. The clan was proud of him and considered him their greatest honor. After years of destruction, battle, and death, seeing Beniro become so accomplished in the clan's secret technique delighted the Shiori. But, they should have realized that talent like him couldn't be hidden."

Maria voice broke slightly, "A few months after his training with my grandfather ended, we received intelligence from the Leaf who were Shiori's closest allies. The third Hokage warned us that a group of Stone shinobi was coming for Beniro. A traitor had tipped off Otogakure. The clan told Beniro to flee and hide. He insisted on going alone, but I wouldn't let him. I joined him on his travels and we spent two years together in hiding. Then one day, when Beniro had gone out to fetch food and water for the both of us, Oto shinobi appeared at our hiding spot. I was alone, and defenseless and t-they tortured me. I refused to tell them where Beniro was and they promised me that after seeing my dead body he would come after them."

Maria then gave a short laugh, "And he would have had I died. Beniro did the unthinkable to save my life. He performed the Chakra Bond transferring nearly all of his chakra to revive me. It was a miracle that he survived the Bond. But, neither of us was expecting its repercussions. A few weeks later, we were attacked again. This time, the Leaf including Kakashi came to aid us. It was the first battle I had ever seen. And I made a mistake – I came in the middle of it. I was injured severely, and the medics had declared that I would die. Beniro was distraught – he was injured and too weak to transfer any chakra to me. I was glad that he couldn't though and I forbid him to try."

Maria swallowed, and said in a hollow whisper, "He stayed at my side while the others fought. I told him that I loved him more than anyone else. And that's when it happened. I felt his chakra seeping into my skin and I looked at him in horror. He smiled at me and the last words he said were, 'My love, our bond is permanent. I will always save you.' He died in front of me and though I knew I would live, I felt that I had died too."

Kohana said hoarsely, "I'm sorry, Maria-san. I never knew."

Maria wiped her face with her hands and said tiredly, but in a stronger voice, "Kohana, you must promise me that you will never use the Bond no matter what."

Kohana stammered, "I – I don't think I can promise you that. I understand your concern, and I will do my best to not use it."

Maria sighed, " I guess that's all I can expect from you. Beniro has left me alive with terrible guilt. I wish he hadn't, but you can see now Kohana that Beniro is the only man that I will love." She then smiled, and looked at the darky sky around them, "Don't worry, I won't steal your Kakashi. I have to leave now."

Kohana's cheeks tinged red, "T-thank you. I've learned so much from you and I apologize for misunderstanding your friendship. Please convey my well wishes to your grandfather. I hope he recovers soon."

Maria nodded, "One more thing, Kohana." She pulled out a small black book from her backpack and handed it to Kohana. "This is your mother's diary", she explained, "Jiraya-sama wanted you to have it and asked me to give it to you at the end of your training with me."

Kohana nodded, "I understand. Thank you."

Maria then turned towards Konoha's gates, and bid her a farewell, "Stay safe. Practice well."

Kohana watched Maria's figure disappear into the darkness before hugging the diary to her chest and making her way quickly to the apartment. Maria's story rung in her head and she wondered that if she was in Beniro's position would she have done anything differently. And a sudden flash of Kakashi in her mind told her that she would have followed Beniro to the tee.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28: Never a Problem to Me

Jiraya and Kakashi both stood against the wall, their arms folded and eyes wary as they watched the early risers shuffle past barely noticing their presence. They were a 1000 km from Konoha in a small village, Rokugake, that was the current training spot for Naruto.

Jiraya spoke without making eye contact. He asked gravely, "How valid do you think your information is Kakashi?"

"It's true, Jiraya-sama."

"And Sasuke?"

"I would assume he knows. Orochimaru wouldn't keep that a secret from him."

Jiraya grimaced, "Keeping Sasuke in check has become doubly more difficult."

Kakashi sighed, "It has. But, I find it more troublesome that Itachi is a part of this organization. I wonder what the leader of the Akatsuki plans to do with the Jinchuuriki. With a extremely adept Sharingan-user among their midst, I can't imagine that they have many limitations."

Jiraya replied, his posture determined, "That will be my job, Kakashi. You've done well. It's best if you return to Konoha and stay by Tsunade's side. She will need you. I'll take it from here."

Kakashi hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Naruto's training is almost done. I'm afraid I cannot spend more time with him due to the urgency of this matter. I'll send him home soon – I'll leave him to you."

Kakashi nodded, "Of course, Jiraya-sama."

"And, I know that I have no need to say this, but please keep an eye on Kohana for me."

"She will be safe. I am sure that with Maria's training, she has gained some control over her Genkai."

Jiraya took a deep breath, and slowly rubbed his fingers together.

Kakashi frowned, "What is it, Jiraya-sama?"

The older man answered in a lightly tense voice, "Kohana is much too curious. I've told Maria to warn her about the extent of her Genkai's power, and asked her to emphasize the dangers associated with it. But, if she is anything like her mother…I seriously question whether she will heed to our warnings."

Kakashi tilted his head, and said in a comforting tone, "Kohana is intelligent, Jiraya-sama. She won't do anything to jeopardize her life, especially not against your wishes."

Jiraya shrugged, "I hope not." He added in a soft voice, reminiscing about his past, "But, people will do anything for love."

It had been two weeks since Maria's departure, and Kakashi had still not returned. She was excited to see Sai and Sakura in the market a week ago, but found out that Kakashi had not accompanied them back. She eagerly awaited his return, feeling much more excited than usual. The talk with Maria had confirmed an important doubt – no one had yet captured Kakashi's heart and Kohana was determined to be the first and only one.

Fortunately, the wait for Kohana was not idly spent. The night she opened the black book, she was surprised to see a note fall out. She read it quickly, her lips forming a small smile at the words of caution.

 _Dear Kohana,_

 _This is your mother's diary. It is my fault for not handing this to you sooner, but I felt that you would appreciate it more after your training with Maria. I hope that your mother's thoughts will alleviate any worries and answer any questions that you may have._

 _Finally, I want you to know that I will be away for a while on business with the Akatsuki. Do not worry about me, but focus on your training. I cannot emphasize this more Kohana– be cautious about your chakra usage. Do not get carried away._

 _I hope to see you soon._

 _Love,_

 _Otou-san_

The entries in the journal were long, written in tiny print. Kohana couldn't read more than one entry per day, not because she was tired of the minuscule words, but because she had taken up a new job. It had been nearly four months since she came to Konoha, and until now, she had been living on her father's expenses. She went around the village looking for shops to work in and finally found her niche in a small, but popular bookstore. The manager, after seeing Kohana's resume and past experience in accounting, expressed that Kohana was much too overqualified for the job. But, Kohana insisted that she would rather spend her time surrounded by books than in the local bank. The manager reluctantly agreed and scheduled Kohana for daily shifts from 8:00 am -5:00 pm. Kohana loved her job; she scuttled around the store, organizing bookshelves, keeping tally of loaned items, and also charting the book sales.

On her free time at the store, she often conversed with villagers or perused through romance and mystery novels. Gai, who had stopped by two days ago, commented that Kohana had returned to her former jovial personality. When Kohana asked what he meant by that, he answered saying that she was now 'rejuvenated' and seemed to have finally broken out of that moody character that persisted for the past few months. Kohana frowned at his explanation but privately agreed; she did feel much happier.

But, her job wasn't the only reason she hadn't finished her mother's diary. Although Maria had advised Kohana to continue her training so that she could at least become adept at chakra transfer, Tsunade had put her foot down. Since Kohana no longer succumbed to dizzying spells, the 5th didn't see the need for further training. Tsunade worried that Kohana's complete mastery of the Genkai would cause unnecessary interest in her and the village. In a time where the Akatsuki's threat was imminent, Tsunade did not wish to take any chance regarding Kohana's safety or that of Konoha's. And it wasn't to Kohana's surprise that Jiraya conceded. She had received a letter, shortly after her conversation with Tsunade, from her father restating Tsunade's words. Kohana was upset about their decision but knew that a verbal disagreement would not do her any favors.

She decided to take matters into her own hands. What was the point of being bestowed with such a gift if she was prohibited from using it? She was well warned about the dangers, and she appreciated everyone's concern, but did they really expect her to throw her Genkai away? To live her life as if it never existed? She knew her mother saved many lives with her gift, and Kohana felt obligated to do the same. It was as if she was honoring her mother's memory, which she had not been able to do before.

And so unknown to anyone, in the midst of the night, Kohana had pursued her Genkai training to the next level. The journals were plenty instructive and based on Maria's advice, Kohana was able to start Stage 2 of her training. However, she was coming to the point where she could no longer learn from words. She pondered on whom to ask, but no one seemed trustworthy enough to keep her secret. Kurenai and Asuma wouldn't feel comfortable defying the Hokage and Gai was a tai jutsu user, an art that required minimum chakra. There was only one person she repeatedly thought of –someone who could guide her expertly and also keep her secret safe. Convincing Kakashi would be difficult, but she knew that he was her best option. Plus, she thought giddily, extra training would mean more time with him.

The days flew by quickly, and soon Kohana found herself being bombarded with customers on a Thursday afternoon. When Kohana saw the line outside the door, her eyes widened in surprise.

"W-what", Kohana stuttered, unable to imagine a reason for the sudden ambush.

She stumbled slightly when her manager rushed past her, pushing a cart loaded with boxes. Two young boys who she knew were the manger's nephews followed after their uncle, their footsteps quick and hurried. Kohana grabbed the sleeve of the second boy, who turned around with an irritated expression.

She asked urgently, "What's going on? Why are there all those people out there?"

"You don't know? The new sequel to Icha Icha Paradise just came out. They want to buy it."

Kohana let go of the boy and stared outside in disbelief. She remembered when Jiraya gave her a copy of the infamous book. She couldn't fathom why people would want to buy it in public. Given its suggestive content, the book was an item that should be bought and read in utmost privacy. But, it seemed that people didn't care about getting caught with Icha-Icha Paradise in their handbags.

The manager yelled out to Kohana who jumped with a startled expression.

"What are you standing there for Kohana? Go get the register ready. We're going to be making huge sales today! I'll need you to stay past five."

Kohana scowled, but abided the order and stood behind the gray machine, making sure that it was in working order. Kohana had to blink a few times after the manager and the boys finished shelving the books. Anywhere Kohana looked, she was met with teeming heaps of yellow. She sighed and braced herself for the rush of excited, avid readers who were now impatiently knocking on the store's door.

Several hours later, Kohana leaned against the countertop massaging her fingers, a tired expression etched onto her face. "Mr. Hoshimata, it's getting late", she said warily. Her eyes found the clock, which now read 7:30 pm. The older man looked up from his documents and peered at Kohana through his black-framed spectacles. He then glanced at the clock and exclaimed, standing up abruptly, "Oh my, you're right. And I told my wife I would be home half-hour ago. Kohana, please don't think badly of me, but I need to go. Do you mind closing up for me? It's my son's birthday and I promised him I would take him out."

Kohana breathed through her nose and sighed, "I can. Don't worry about it. Do I need to put these extra books in the back room?"

Mr. Hoshimata nodded absent mindedly, packing his leather suitcase, "Yes, dear. Now, have a good night." He waved a quick goodbye and dashed out the door, the bells jingling behind him. Kohana mumbled, "Okay. Guess I won't be training tonight. It's too dark."

She quickly packed the unsold Icha-Icha Paradise books into a box and placed the box on a crate before rolling it to a dingy, dusty room. She coughed slightly, and started to place the books on the steel shelves, using the ladder whenever she couldn't reach the top shelves. She was halfway through the box, quietly humming to fill the silence, when she flinched at a voice behind her.

"Hello, Kohana."

She turned around in surprise, and lost her footing on the ladder, falling into Kakashi's ready hands.

She straightened herself with a flustered expression and exclaimed, "Kakashi!"

Kakashi chuckled, "Imagine my surprise at finding you here."

"I've taken up a job here. I don't want to make my Dad go bankrupt."

Kakashi chuckled, "Did Mr. Hoshimata leave you alone?"

"Some family outing. I was just about to close."

"Looks like I came right on time, then. I've just returned from the Hokage's office after debriefing her. I heard the new sequel for Icha- Icha Paradise just came out today."

Kohana raised her eyebrow, and said sardonically "And you just had to buy it today, didn't you?"

Kakashi flashed her a grin, "You read my mind too well, Kohana-chan. I hope there are copies left."

Kohana nodded, "A few", and handed him the yellow book. She added skeptically, "I don't understand the hype for this story. I've read the first few pages out of curiosity and well it's extremely…suggestive."

Kakashi looked at her with amused eyes, "You want to judge a book after reading a few pages? It's an incredibly well-thought out story written by a proliferative writer."

Kohana scoffed, "Yeah, I can see that. Strange how he keeps himself anonymous."

Kakashi pursed his lips and said quietly to himself, "Good thing he does too. If you found out…well, I think he knows the reaction."

Kohana asked him, distracted by the lock on the front door, "What did you say?"

Kakashi shook his head and flipped off the light before leading Kohana out onto the quiet streets. Kohana examined his appearance and was glad to know that he looked well and uninjured. Yet, he must be hungry.

She offered, "Why don't you have dinner at my place tonight?"

Kakashi tilted his head, and looked at the starry sky, and said after a moment's thought, "Thank you. I would like that."

They sat on the mahogany sofa each holding a cup of coffee in their hands. They had just finished eating (grilled chicken, and a serving of fried rice) when Kohana insisted that Kakashi stay for coffee; they barely spoke while eating and Kohana had much to tell.

Kakashi stated while sipping his drink, "So, I've learned Maria has left. I hope you didn't drive her away."

Kohana scowled at his teasing smile, "Her grandfather fell ill."

"That's unfortunate. I met him once. He must be very old now."

Kohana nodded, "It is sad, but it seemed like she had been dealing with his illness for a while. She didn't leave until she completed her training with me, though."

"I'm glad. Tsunade-sama is also satisfied with your health."

Kohana grimaced, and her lips pressed together. "I would be satisfied too had I not been prohibited from training any further."

Kakashi sighed, "Ah. She did mention something about that. I understand your frustration, Kohana. But, the Hokage has her reasons all of which concern the safety of you and this village."

Kohana shook her head, her bangs settling over her dark brown eyes, "I don't think anyone understands. I've been kept in the dark for my whole life and just when I find out about my family and my talent, I'm told to keep it quiet. How exactly is that fair? I'll throw the question back at you, Kakashi. Would you keep quiet?"

Kakashi pondered this and answered carefully, "I probably wouldn't. But, you and I are different. As a Shinobi, I am obligated to protect Konoha and I would use any measure to do that. You on the other hand are–

Kohana cut him off, her voice intense, "A descendant of the Shiori clan. The Genkai is my one remaining connection to my family, Kakashi." She reached across to her side table, and opened the drawer from which she removed her mother's journals and diary. She sprawled them in front of Kakashi and pointed to them, her voice vigorous, "This is everything my mother wrote and kept account of. She spent her life honing her skill even though she was told not to. And she helped so many people, Kakashi. What better way can I honor her than by following her footsteps?"

Kakashi silently regarded the yellowed pages. He stated softly, "This means a lot to you."

"Yes, it does."

"And so what do you plan to do?" Kakashi inquired.

Kohana licked her lips and took another sip of coffee before answering hesitantly, "Now, don't get upset, Kakashi. But, I've kind of already started to practice Chakra Transfer."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, and asked, "You have? For some reason, I am not surprised. But, against the Hokage and Jiraya-sama's wishes? That's rebellious even for you."

Kohana rushed into her explanation, "I'm not trying to disobey them. I know they mean well. Yet, this is my fate. Coming here after all these years, meeting you again, and learning about my family –I don't think any of it is a coincidence. I've practiced what I can from these books, but I think I'll need your help."

Kakashi took a deep breath, and asked with an amused expression on his face, "So, now you're asking me to defy them too? Are you sure you still don't hate me? If I'm caught, I'm sure to be punished by the Hokage herself."

Kohana pouted, "Kakashi, I'm being serious."

Kakashi chuckled and to her surprise agreed, "Fine. I will."

Kohana blinked her eyes in disbelief, "What?"

"You heard me."

"I thought this would be difficult. I didn't expect you to agree so easily."

"Well, I see your point and I happen to have another reason. The Akatsuki are advancing towards the last of the Jinchuuriki, and Konoha will do everything in its power to protect Naruto. In the case something happens in the future, I need to know that you can protect yourself. And since Chakra transfer is a two way connection, meaning that you can both donate and extract Chakra, I think it's best that you learn it."

Kohana asked in a worried voice, her eyes traveling to her father's note that lay propped open on the sofa, "Is it that bad?"

Kakashi's demeanor changed but he said calmly, "If anything happens, we will be ready."

He gave her a cheerful smile that Kohana returned a little less enthusiastically. She had completely forgotten about the Akatsuki. She was so focused on her training that she didn't realize the looming threat that was drawing closer. Her father and Kakashi were risking their lives to scavenge what little information they could about the illegal organization and here she was asking Kakashi to help her with something that would not only make her more conspicuous but potentially place Konoha in danger too. And plus, Kakashi was concerned for Naruto's safety. If anything, he should be spending his time training him, not her.

She backpedaled, and said unsurely, "I…I don't think it's a good idea then for you to focus on me. You'll be busy, and it's like Tsunade-sama said, my Genkai is supposed to be kept hidden. I'd just create more problems for you."

Kakashi smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately, "You worry too much. You're never a problem to me. I'll see you tomorrow evening, then?"

Kohana blushed faintly, her heart skipping a beat. She nodded quietly and watched him leave her apartment and enter his own. She felt a sudden sadness at his leave, and sighed as she readied herself for the night. Tomorrow evening couldn't come fast enough.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Avenger

 **A/N: I am back! I apologize for the wait. But I've written a long chapter for you. Please enjoy!**

A couple months passed since Kakashi promised Kohana to train her. Kohana fell into a daily routine that involved working at the bookstore during the day and spending the late evening with Kakashi. Kohana was so spent by the end of her sessions that their conversations were far and few. This frustrated her as she repeatedly tried to translate her feelings for him into adequate words. Whenever she built up the courage to confront him though, she would hopelessly stumble and veer the conversation into an entirely different direction. If Kakashi thought she was acting strange, he never mentioned it. Kohana was relieved that he hadn't noticed her nervous behavior around him.

Then again, Kakashi didn't seem to have the energy to observe more than needed. Tsunade had called the Anbu and Jonin into frequent meetings to analyze the situation with the Akatsuki. Teams were being deployed to investigate Jiraya's findings, but thankfully, Kakashi was allowed to remain home. Kohana asked many times about how her father was doing, worried about his long absence. Kakashi always assured her that he was safe and that she need not concern herself needlessly. Despite his comforting words, she felt restlessness seeping back into her life.

Fortunately, Kohana's anxiety was dampened with the company of Naruto and his team who seemed to accompany Kakashi back to his apartment on a daily basis. Kohana would serve them tea and snacks and all five of them would dwindle away their time talking casually. It was during one of these chats that Kohana found out an alarming truth about her father. Kakashi could have slapped Naruto for not keeping his mouth shut, but the cat was out of the bag. Kohana's reaction was exactly what Kakashi had imagined and truth be told, he was quite amused.

"He's the author of Icha-Icha Paradise!" Kohana exclaimed furiously.

Sakura whacked Naruto on the head, and whispered, "You are so tactless Naruto. I'm sure Jiraya-sama would have told her on his own time."

Naruto grumbled, and Sai threw him a teasing smile while he said, "You always make yourself look like an idiot, Naruto."

Naruto waved his fists in front of Sai's face, and growled, "What did you say, baka?"

But before Sai could reply, Kakashi intervened.

"Now, Kohana, it's really not a big deal. There's a great market for these kinds of books. Jiraya-sama targets it for the youth and there's more to the story than physical intimacy."

Kohana spluttered, "That's not the point. What would people think if they knew? He's a legendary Sannin, for goodness sake!"

"Hmm…that's why they don't know. Are you seriously going to begrudge him for this?"

"No, I just never imagined…" Kohana trailed off.

Kakashi laughed, "Don't worry. Tsunade-sama gives him enough grief about it."

Kohana shrugged and turned her attention to Sakura. "Would you like more tea?"

Sakura smiled, "No, Kohana-nee-chan." She then looked oddly at her and Kakashi. Kohana did not miss her stare and frowned, "What is it?"

She shook her head, "Nothing." But, Kohana was intrigued and persisted, "No, what is it?"

Sakura glanced at Kakashi who was absorbed in conversation with Naruto and Sai. She beckoned silently to Kohana suggesting that they speak privately in the kitchen. She made a show of clearing the tabletop of the teacups.

Kohana followed her quietly confused about what Sakura wanted to talk so clandestinely about.

Sakura started, "So, well, I probably shouldn't say anything but I couldn't help but notice that you and Kakashi sensei..."

Sakura looked at her expectantly not finishing the sentence. Kohana raised her eyebrow, and asked, "Yes? What about him?"

Sakura licked her lips and said, "Do you like him?"

Kohana blushed and cursed herself mentally. Is it that obvious to everyone but him? She scowled and Sakura added quickly, "It's just I've seen the way you look at him and I know that expression."

Kohana scrunched her forehead, and asked, curious, "You do?"

Sakura bit her lip, and averted her eyes, a pained look gracing her round face. Kohana immediately regretted her question and amended, "I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything."

Sakura sighed and said in hushed voice, "I hope that it gets easier everyday. But, it doesn't. Sasuke-kun's absence continues to hurt us all."

Kohana nodded. Kakashi had spoken of Sasuke before and she knew that his sudden decision to leave Konoha was unexpected and painful. Though Kakashi never elaborated on the topic, Kohana suspected that he blamed himself more than he let on.

Sakura continued, her voice bitter, " Six years ago, I made Naruto promise to bring back Sasuke-kun. My childhood self couldn't fathom how much of a toll this would take on him. As if Naruto doesn't have enough on his plate already, he's determined to follow through with his oath. Even if it kills the both of them."

Kohana responded softly, "Sakura. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Naruto's made that promise to himself too. Let him keep it. Because I can see that you believe Sasuke is worthy of all the pain you've went through…and all the love you have for him."

Sakura blushed quietly. Kohana added, "Naruto is not alone in this. Do you really think Kakashi would let it come too far?"

Sakura admitted, "No, he wouldn't. But, how long can we rely on Kakashi sensei to solve our problems?"

"As long as you need to, Sakura. Kakashi would never abandon the both of you. He knows the value of loyalty more than anyone."

Sakura grinned and asked slyly, "Is that why you love him?"

"Love who?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Both Kohana and Sakura jumped and swiveled around to face the kitchen's entrance. Kakashi was leaning against the wall his arms folded across his chest.

Kohana threw a frantic glance at Sakura before answering hurriedly, "No one."

Kakashi regarded her quietly and then abruptly chuckled, "Ah. I hope I didn't intrude on anything. It looks like Sakura was about to make you confess your romantic interest, Kohana. Did you meet him at the bookstore? I hope you do introduce me to the lucky guy sometime."

Kohana felt the heat rush to her cheeks and she gritted her teeth, "You've got quite an imagination, Kakashi. We were talking about something else."

Kakashi laughed and addressed the pink haired girl beside her, "Sakura, Naruto and Sai want to go for barbecue. They're waiting for you." Sakura rushed out of the kitchen happy to leave Kohana alone with Kakashi. A few seconds later, they both heard the door open and close.

The silver haired man then asked Kohana, "Where do you want to go?"

Kohana blinked slowly, not comprehending his question. "Go where?"

"For dinner?"

"Oh", Kohana gasped, "aren't you going to join them?"

"No, I'm not in the mood for barbecue tonight."

"Oh…that's okay, Kakashi. I can make something for the both of us." She was about to open the refrigerator to see what vegetables were in stock when Kakashi grabbed her arm.

"Wait. Let's go out tonight. My treat – you've spoiled me these past weeks far too much."

Kohana opened her mouth slightly in surprise. It was true she had been taking care of Kakashi's meals after learning that he barely cooked for himself. But, she was not expecting this excursion.

"A-are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

Kakashi gently pushed her out to the living room and handed over her black coat. "Anywhere you wish", he said, his arm at resting gently on the small of her back, as he walked her out.

Kohana sat across from Kakashi in a small, cozy dango shop. Kakashi was silently reading the menu, his eyes fixed on the small print. Kohana had not even opened hers but was staring intently at Kakashi. This seemed the perfect opportunity to tell him how she felt. What was the point in waiting? She worried, though, that he would say no. If he did, what would she do? It was her biggest fear that prevented her from blurting out just how much she loved him.

Kakashi put his menu down, and took a sip of water. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head. "Are you ready to order?"

"O-oh, yes. I am." Kohana said quickly, randomly choosing a dish. Kakashi beckoned for the male waiter at the end of the corridor. The both of them ordered their entrees and drinks after which they waited casually in silence.

Kohana's heart beat faster as she attempted to start the conversation. She eventually squeaked, her voice sounding unnaturally high.

"Kakashi, can I ask you something?"

Kakashi nodded, "Go ahead."

Kohana licked her lips, more conscious of her appearance than before. She smoothed out her hair and said, "Do you think Asuma and Kurenai will get married?"

Kakashi stared at her curiously, but answered simply, "Yes, I think they will."

"That's nice. They love each other a lot. Would…you ever want that?" she asked timidly.

Kakashi responded slowly trying to gauge the reason behind her questions, "It's different for everyone."

"But, for you?" she persisted.

Kakashi sighed, and a far away look graced his face, "I don't think that would be possible for me."

Kohana felt a wave of disappointment course through her and she asked in a small voice, "Why?"

Kakashi shrugged, "That kind of bond requires a commitment that I can't make."

Kohana mumbled, "Oh." She let the topic go and ate in a subdued silence. It was clear that Kakashi didn't feel anything for her than friendship. Even this dinner was only a thank you – nothing more. She felt tears well up and brushed them away before her companion could notice.

Kakashi spoke again, uncharacteristically curious, "What were you talking to Sakura about?"

Kohana paused eating her spoon halfway to her mouth. She set it down on the glossy table with a small clunk. "Sasuke."

"Ah."

"She was upset. I was trying to comfort her."

"Hmmm…what did you say?"

"That Sasuke was worth it."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "You think so?"

She challenged him, "You don't?"

Kakashi slid back in his chair and took a deep breath. He answered carefully, "With Sasuke, it's different. He was my student and so I suppose I will be biased. But that doesn't mean I don't see how lonely Naruto and Sakura feel. I wish I were able to stop him. I wish I had paid more attention to Sasuke."

"Don't blame yourself, Kakashi." Kohana said softly. "Sasuke's decision wouldn't have changed regardless. Believe me, I know. When I made the choice to leave Konoha, I was determined to follow through with it. The 3rd Hokage did his best to convince me otherwise, but I never listened. People can be foolishly stubborn."

Kakashi laughed, "You definitely are."

Kohana scowled, "Well, I came back." She then extended her hand across the table and leaned forward staring intently into his face. "You were meant to be their sensei, Kakashi. Gai told me how you would fail every team that didn't show teamwork. I don't think that those three passing your test was any coincidence. In a way, team 7 reminds me a lot of your own."

Kakashi contemplated, "I never thought about it that way…" He trailed off, and then suddenly stood up, his eyes hardening slightly as he realized the scene before him. "Asuma", he muttered.

Kohana swiveled around to see Asuma and his team adorned in gear. Kakashi murmured quietly, "Already?" He dashed over to them. Kohana hesitated, not sure whether she was allowed to follow. She watched as their mouths moved rapidly unable to make out the words. She saw Asuma grin widely and clap Kakashi on the shoulder. Kohana couldn't help but smile herself; Asuma looked so happy. Kakashi shook his hand and watched them exit through the door before returning to Kohana.

He recognized the eager look he her face and sighed, "You're much too curious for your own good."

Kohana pouted, "Fine, don't tell me. It's not like I asked you to."

Kakashi chuckled, "But, this is something you would want and should know. Asuma is going to be a father."

Kohana's eyes widened in surprise, and squealed, "Kurenai's pregnant?!"

Kakashi nodded, taking a sip of water, "Seems so."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Kohana demanded, hurt that Kurenai would keep this from her.

"Because they've just found out, Kohana. I'm sure she expected me to pass on the news to you."

"It's too bad that he has to leave on a mission now. I'm sure he would have wanted to celebrate. But, a baby! I hope it's a girl."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and resumed eating his meal. But, soon after, he discretely pushed his bowl away no longer feeling hungry. A chill wind passed through the night and he shivered lightly. He experienced a sense of foreboding and silently hoped that Asuma's mission would end well.

* * *

Kohana was sitting across from Kurenai on her black, leather couch, holding a hot cup of ginger tea. She had taken to visiting Kurenai during the early mornings on the days she had not scheduled a shift at the bookstore. Both women were currently discussing the merits of their love interest – a topic that they would have definitely avoided had they not been so close.

Kohana grumbled, "I don't get it, Kurenai. He gives me mixed feelings. He's been there in my most vulnerable moments and it seems that he cares specifically for me. But, at other times I'm nothing more than a friend…despite all the time we spend together."

Kakashi tilted her head, and said softly, "Give him some time, Kohana. Don't give up."

Kohana emphasized, "I'm not giving up. I love him, Kurenai. There won't be anyone else."

The older, pregnant girl laughed, "Have you tried telling him how you feel?"

"Yes…I have. But, I'm scared. What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Kurenai nodded, "It's normal to feel apprehensive. Kohana, you should know that Kakashi is a lot different from Asuma or Gai. He's much more reserved about his feelings than either of his friends. If you don't tell him some way or another, he may never realize his own emotions either."

"I know. I wish it was easier." Kohana mumbled. She then placed a hand on Kurenai's stomach and giggled, "At least, this little one won't have to worry about relationships for a long while."

"Yes, he or she won't." Kurenai agreed.

"Have you thought of names?"

"Mirai if it's a girl. Kenji if it's a boy."

"That's nice. I like Mirai."

Kurenai laughed, "You're only saying that because you want it to be a girl. But, I guess you and Asuma are in the same boat. He wants a daughter."

"Girls are the best", Kohana exclaimed with a flourish of her hands. She added, "Asuma will make a great father."

Kurenai grinned in agreement. They spent the rest of the morning discussing their childhoods and what kind of parents Kurenai and Asuma would be when they heard a knock. Kohana opened the door to reveal a somber Kakashi, his eyes strangely glossed over.

"What's wrong?" Kohana asked.

He ignored her and spoke to Kurenai not exactly meeting her eyes, "Kurenai, the Hokage's requested you immediately. Please go now."

Kurenai shot him a confused look, but departed swiftly without question. Kakashi sidled past Kohana and onto the balcony where he watched Kurenai until she entered the Hokage's tower. He gave a signal to someone in the distance. Kohana pulled on his sleeve, and asked anxiously, "What happened?" Her voice trailed off as something large and black caught her eyes. She leaned over the balcony and gasped when she saw a troop of shinobi carrying a fully cloaked figure. She stared in alarm as the procession passed solemnly, workers and shoppers alike stopping their duties to watch. Of course, she recognized the funeral march, the dull thud of feet, and the thick suffocating atmosphere. She was much too familiar for how many times hadn't she seen it before? First with Obito, then Minato and Kushina and now…

"Kakashi, who is that?" Kohana asked shakily.

Kakashi just slid his hand through hers, squeezed her palm firmly. Kohana asked more forcefully, "Who _is_ that?" She turned sideways and gazed at his face, her heart beating with anticipation.

She bit her lip as she realized Kakashi's posture. It was rigid, almost paralyzed. With an unpleasant jolt, Kohana recognized the tormented expression of loss on his face. The same face that Kurenai, Gai, Tsunade-sama and Asuma –

Her thoughts broke off abruptly and she let out a shaky breath as she swiveled her head towards the procession once more. Her heart tried to deny her mind, but the logic was too strong and the evidence too clear. She could now make out the hunched outlines of Shikamaru, Ino and Choji, all who appeared as if they had their chests ripped out.

"A-asuma?" Kohana cried, gripping Kakashi's fingers.

Kakashi finally nodded, his voice grim, "His team was in combat with the Akatsuki. It was an unexpected battle. Asuma put his life on the line to save those three." His head dipped towards the staggering trio of kids, not much older than Kohana when she had lost her loved ones.

"No." Kohana was shaking, her mind going blank in shock. She whispered hoarsely aghast, "W-why?!"

Kakashi pulled Kohana into an embrace, and spoke softly, "This is war, Kohana. This is the pain love can bring." He tightened his hold as she cried. How more many people would he have to lose?

* * *

Kohana did her best to ward off the shock and the numbness she felt whenever she thought of Asuma. His death impacted her strongly; she was upset, distraught and angry. But, her loss and her grief was nothing compared to that of Kurenai.

For days, the pregnant kuniochi had refused to open the door for anyone. It wasn't until Kohana was shouting at her door that the Kurenai succumbed. Kohana watched sadly as Kurenai more or less cooped up into a morose ball. She now took care of her meals and organized her apartment trying to flood the rooms with as much sunlight as possible. Despite her efforts, Kurenai's demeanor didn't change. During the upcoming weeks, Kohana began to worry about Kurenai's health and obsessed over making sure that her friend at least cared for the baby growing inside her. Even Shikamaru's constant visits did little to curb the gloom. Kohana knew little about the taciturn male, but she appreciated his effort and concern for his sensei's lover. Kurenai cheered slightly when he was present, but retreated immediately to the confines of her room when he left.

Fortunately, what Kohana and the others could not do, time did. Months passed and Kohana found Kurenai returning slowly to her former self, even going as far as initiating conversations with Kohana. It wasn't until the hospital visit that Kurenai had her first laugh, tears streaming down her face. Kohana was startled to see the sudden blast of emotion only to learn that the mother had felt her baby kick. Kurenai turned to Kohana with a big smile, "I think I can do this, Kohana. He's not really gone. He's with me, right here." She patted her engorged belly fondly.

Kohana returned the smile tentatively and walked Kurenai out of the hospital where the latter came to an abrupt stop a mile down the road. Kohana frowned when she saw Asuma's team a few feet away geared up for what looked like another mission. Kurenai's gaze hardened and she gave them a firm nod. They waved to her and made their way to the entrance where they signed out with the front guards, Koetsu and Izumo.

"Another mission?" Kohana said.

Kurenai muttered, "It's nothing to worry about, Kohana. You should go. I need to speak with the Hokage. Thank you so much for your help."

Kohana watched the pregnant lady amble over to the Hokage's building with a confused expression. She shook her head and sighed. She knew that as a civilian, she had no right to meddle in shinobi affairs. But, when all of her friends were shinobi, she couldn't help but worry for their safety. How she hated being kept in the dark!

* * *

It was a warm day in March, and Kohana was back at the bookstore, shelving copies of new orders onto the wooden shelves. The door opened and Gai walked in, clad in his original green suit.

Kohana's face split into a wide smile. It had been too long since she had seen her friend.

"Gai!" she greeted as he approached her.

The tai-jutsu expert smiled back, though his grin didn't seem to reach his eyes.

"Why do you look so preoccupied, Gai?" Kohana asked.

"You need your eyesight checked, Kohana-chan. You're mistaking my youthful appearance to be something else. I hope I'm not disturbing you." Gai chuckled.

"Please, Gai. That would never happen. That's all right. I was about to take my lunch break", Kohana teased.

Gai chuckled and leaned across the counter to speak, "So, how have you been?"

Kohana grinned and then her smile faltered, "Everything's been okay. I've been hanging out with Kurenai a lot."

Gai sighed heavily, "I know. It's been difficult to digest."

Kohana nodded, and turned the conversation in a different direction asking about Gai instead. They caught up on their lives and an hour into the conversation Kohana discovered that Lee, Gai's favorite discipline was excelling at tai-jutsu.

Gai exclaimed proudly, "He'll surpass me, Kohana. He says he gets his strength from Naruto."

Kohana agreed fervently, "Naruto is something else. He has a unique charisma – everyone can't help but love him."

Gai added, "Of course, Naruto wasn't always like this. If it wasn't for the few people that accepted him, I'm not sure how he would have turned out."

"What do you mean, Gai?" Kohana had missed the most part of Naruto's childhood. She couldn't imagine anyone disliking the rambunctious boy.

"People used to hate him for being the 9 tailed Jinchuriki. They used to whisper behind him not bothering to hide their disgust. Iruka was the only one to approach Naruto with a friendly personality; he believed Naruto was much more than the Kyuubi."

Kohana frowned, "What about Kakashi? They seem so close now."

Gai hesitated, "Kakashi was in no position to help Naruto. This was many years ago, Kohana. He was still recovering from his own pain though he never showed it. It took him nearly half a decade to become the man he is now."

Kohana hung her head in guilt, wincing slightly as she remembered that she had only added to his suffering. Kakashi should have been there for his belated sensei's son. Gai placated her, "No harm done. Kakashi and Naruto's relationship is strong…Kakashi would give his life for Naruto. No one would be able to stop him."

He said these last few words tersely, and Kohana caught his unusually tense face. She asked sharply, "What do you mean, Gai? Did something happen?"

Gai chuckled unsurely, "Kakashi is right. You have a wild imagination."

Kohana glared, "I do not. What's going on, Gai? Where is Kakashi?" She thought back to the weeks before. She was so preoccupied with Kurenai that she hadn't noticed Kakashi's prolonged absences. Her heart fluttered with panic."

Gai said calmly, "Nothing to worry yourself over."

Kohana snapped, "I'm tired of all of you saying that to me. If I'm not supposed to know, stop giving me clues!"

Gai pursed his lips, "It's not my fault. You're too insightful."

Kohana pleaded, "Where is he, Gai?"

Gai hesitated, "He wouldn't want you to know, Kohana."

Kohana gasped, "Gai. You know this already. But I've never said it to you before. I love him. If anything…" She shuddered at the thought of losing him and continued, "I need to know. I promise I won't betray your name."

Gai rubbed his face, "This is completely on you, Kohana-chan. He's back home. But, he'll be leaving shortly."

Kohana flashed him a thank you and sped out of the store, as she ran to his apartment. She pounded the door, yelling, "Kakashi!"

The door opened to reveal the tired looking shinobi. His visible eye widened in surprise, "Kohana. What are you doing here?"

Kohana paused to catch her breath, and tripped over the doorstep in her haste. She grabbed the edges of the doorframe to stabilize herself.

"A-are you going somewhere?" She glanced at his figure. He was clothed in his green vest, but his pouches were bulging with kunai and shiruken. She reached out and absentmindedly traced the outline of the weapons.

Kakashi closed the door and crossed his arms, "What are you doing here, Kohana? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I bailed."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "That's unlike you."

"I need to talk to you."

Kakashi glanced at the clock and shook his head, "Not now, Kohana. I'm leaving. We'll talk after we get back."

Kohana racked her brain trying to figure out what mission could be so dangerous that even Gai would be concerned about. There had to be a connection. Gai and Kakashi were the elite shinobi along with Asuma… Kohana gasped, her eyes widened with worry. Of course, neither would rest until their friend was avenged. Reducing the Akatsuki by two would certainly be a victory on the Leaf's side, and a sure fire way to protect Naruto.

She asked, "Are you going after them? The two that k-killed Asuma?"

Kakashi stared at her hardly and nodded once. He said something else that Kohana couldn't hear. It seemed like the wind was knocked out of her.

"What?" she whispered, her hoarse voice echoing loudly in the silent room.

"I'm leaving now, Kohana. It's already late as it is."

The words did their job. Kohana grabbed his vest, and said urgently,

"No! You can't go! They'll…you can't go, Kakashi!" Kohana all but grabbed his vest. Kakashi gripped her wrists and pried them away. He said in a low, hard voice, "Stop this, Kohana. This is what I do."

But Kohana wouldn't hear any of it. She shook her head severely, "Then take me with you. I can help."

Kakashi snorted and pushed her aside, "You'll stay right here. I'm leaving Pakkun behind."

Kohana trembled, succumbing to her tears. He had to know how much he meant to her. She had to tell him now. "Please, Kakashi. I can't…b-bear it if you"

Kakashi cut her off harshly before she could finish, "Kohana, this is my life. It's unpredictable and dangerous. It's best if you're not so concerned about it."

Kohana's eyes widened and she bit her cheek unable to say anything more. His words stung her sharply. She watched him gather his belongings and sweep out the door leaving her alone in his empty apartment. She stumbled to the couch and hid her face in her arms replaying his words.

 ** _It's best if you're not so concerned about it._**

An outsider may not have caught the hidden meaning behind them. But, Kohana did. And the realization broke her heart. He was telling her to not love him. As if she had any control over that.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Hello, Readers! This one's more from Kakashi's POV, but I hope you'll enjoy it the same! Please review and follow! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 31: Miss Me Much?

Kakashi sighed as he nursed his wounds. The mission had not gone smoothly, but they had succeeded thanks to Shikamaru's brilliant plan. In addition, the timely arrival of Naruto and Sakura had boosted their chances of taking down Hidan and Kazuku. He looked ahead at the vast field where the others sat in similar positions tending to their own injuries. His eyes paused briefly on Asuma's team. Their eyes burned with victory, but Kakashi could detect the lingering pain. They may have avenged their sensei, but he was still gone. Another friend dead. Kakashi gripped his left arm tightly and gritted his teeth as he felt a sharp pain shoot through him.

He cursed; he had undone his stitches. A voice chided him, "Ne, Kakashi-sensei. I told you I would do them for you."

Kakashi smiled at his pink haired student, "Sakura, you've done so much already. I didn't want you to waste your chakra on me."

Sakura bent down and examined his arm, closing the wounds with her medical ninjutsu. She tsked, "You're not going to be able to move this arm for a while. You've torn the muscle in several places."

Kakashi shrugged, "I'll live."

Sakura sighed, "You should be more concerned about your health. You'll need bed rest when we return. I'm sure Kohana- nee-chan will help you. It's convenient that she's right next door, isn't it, Sensei?" She smirked slyly at him and walked back to her friends.

Kakashi watched her retreating back and groaned as he buried his head in his arms. He doubted Kohana would want anything to do with him now. He had been uncharacteristically rude, but it was necessary to keep her at a safe distance. He was aware of her growing feelings towards him and he could not return them. Kohana was too much of an innocent civilian and she deserved someone who could guarantee her happiness for a lifetime. He could never offer that.

He had lost his cool when she suggested that she come along. He blanched at the thought of her standing utterly defenseless against two powerful and ruthless Akatsuki members. His anger spiked and burst unexpectedly and the words came out before he could take them back. Despite his good intentions, he had been harsh. And he worried how she would respond when he returned. She was excellent at holding grudges.

He pushed himself up from the rough ground and squinted at the bright blue sky as he saw a shape hurtle towards him. He stepped back defensively, but relaxed when he realized the messenger hawk. The bird landed gracefully on Kakashi's shoulder and held out its paw to which a red scroll was neatly tied. Kakashi untied the letter and the hawk took off with a quiet coo.

He examined the contents of the scroll quickly. It was a note from Jiraya.

Kakashi,

Tsunade informed me about your battle against the Akatsuki. Let's meet at our regular place. We have much to discuss.

Best,

Jiraya

Kakashi waved to his team. Naruto and Sakura ambled over. He smiled, "Take care, both of you. I've received a message from Jiraya-sama. I won't return to the village for a couple days."

Sakura frowned, "But, your arm!"

Kakakshi promised, "This isn't a mission, Sakura. I'll be fine. The both of you accompany Asuma's team back home. They've gone through a lot – they would like your support."

Naruto nodded, "Be safe, Kakashi-sensei. Say hi to Ero-senin for me."

Kakashi nodded to the both of them and sped away into the shade of the forest.

* * *

Jiraya was waiting for him in the tea stall casually sipping from a porcelain cup. Kakashi settled down before him stretching his stiff back.

Jiraya appraised him apologetically, "You must be exhausted."

Kakashi agreed, "I'm tired. I'll need to stay the night before I head back."

"I'm glad you could make it."

Kakashi chuckled, "We barely survived."

Jiraya sighed, "Maybe so. But, there's no one else I would trust to operate a mission against the Akatsuki."

"What is it that you wanted to discuss, Jiraya-sama? It seemed urgent. You wouldn't have summoned me immediately after a mission."

"I've figured out the Akatsuki's head base. It's in Amegakure."

Kakashi's visible eye widened, "Nani?!"

Jiraya nodded, "Yes, it's shocking, but tactful. No one would dare imagine that the village hidden in the rain would house a society of criminals. It's an ideal hiding place as Amegakure has no relations with other nations."

"What do you plan to do?"

"I want to investigate. There's much we don't know. It would be foolish to mount an attack against them."

"Of course. Does Tsunade-sama know?"

Jiraya laughed exuberantly, "Yes. She wanted to send a whole troupe of shinobi with me and join it too."

Kakashi frowned, "I don't blame her. What will happen if you intercept the Akatsuki?"

Jiraya shook his head, "I realize how dangerous this mission is Kakashi. But, I refuse to have anyone accompany me. I'll send you the information as soon as I obtain it."

Kakashi sighed, "Very well, I'll keep an eye out. And what do you want me to tell Kohana? She's been asking about you."

"Has she?" Jiraya said thoughtfully. "I'd prefer her not to know as this is strictly classified information. And if she does bug you, I'm sure you'll think of something."

Kakashi glared at him. Jiraya chuckled, "Is she giving you a lot of grief about me?"

"Not exactly. Though she seems too worried about me. She barged into my apartment the other day and asked to join me on the mission. I've yet to find out how she knew. She's extremely intuitive but quite emotional."

Jiraya rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Did she now? What did you say?"

Kakashi folded his arms across his chest and leaned back, and took a deep breath, "I said something I shouldn't have. It slipped out unintentionally."

Jiraya pursed his lips, "It's obvious why she is so concerned about you Kakashi. I'm sure you've already considered the possibility."

Kakashi sighed, "I have."

"And?"

Kakashi didn't respond for a while and tapped his fingers on the wooden table gazing at the other customers. He finally said, "I will always look after her. I've promised you and Obito that."

Jiraya resigned, "I see. I wish I could see her before I leave, but we have little time. Give her this letter for me." He looked at the darkening sky and gathered his belongings. "I should go. There's a hotel nearby. Say my name, they'll give you a discount."

Kakashi nodded, and took the note and folded it carefully into his breast pocket. "Thank you."

Jiraya stood up, "I'll see you soon. Take care."

* * *

Two days later, Kakashi found himself back home, walking through the entrance. He greeted Izumo and Koetso with a small wave. The two entry guards were lazing through their shifts each holding a deck of cards in their hand.

Kakashi stopped by and remarked, "Izumo, Kotetsu."

Both exclaimed, "Kakashi senpai! Welcome home."

Kakashi rubbed his head and chuckled, "Hai, hai. Arigatou. How are you both doing?"

Izumo snorted, "Please, Kakashi-san. We hardly put ourselves in danger like you. I'd say we have the safest job."

Kakashi held up his finger, and shook his head, "No, it's thanks to you that all of us can sleep at night."

Kotetsu grinned and then suddenly looked surprised. "Kohana-chan!" he called out. Kakashi swiveled around to see a figure with black hair running away.

Kotetsu scratched his forehead, "Huh. She usually stops by."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow and asked, "Stops by?"

Kotetsu smiled, "Oh, yes. Almost everyday. At first, we thought it was because she was waiting for someone to return home. But, after weeks worth of visits, we don't think so anymore."

Izumo growled, "That's because _you_ have a stupid theory."

Kotetsu countered him, and tousled his hair, "You're just sour that she doesn't talk to you as much. Stop being so serious, and you'll have a chance."

Izumo glared at him silently.

Kotetsu continued glancing at his watch, "Do you think she's on break at this time? I could pay her a quick visit"

Izumo slapped his best friend on the arm, "You're on duty, Kotetsu!"

Kakashi felt a spasm of irritation towards the carefree Jonin.

He said in a tight voice, "You wouldn't want Tsunade-sama to be angry with you. I was about to hand over my report to her."

Kotetsu stammered, confused at the light threat, "O-o-of course not, Kakashi san. It was only a thought."

Kakashi then abruptly laughed and clapped Kotetsu's shoulder, "You're a good guy, Kotetsu. I'll see you both later."

Kotetsu exchanged a bewildered glance with Izumo as Kakashi walked away.

He muttered, "Someone's touchy. He's so uptight about rules – I thought he got over them."

Izumo chuckled, "You're blind, Kotetsu. Good luck, though. It'll be hard to compete with Kakashi san."

Kotetsu scowled and threw his pack of cards at his comrade.

Kakashi ambled slowly to his apartment, sighing as he appraised the six flights of stairs he would have to walk to reach his shower. As he climbed, he kept his eyes peeled for any sight of Kohana, but he was sure the silly girl was avoiding him.

After a quick, but refreshing shower, Kakashi found himself back on the streets. He was on autopilot and he simply allowed his feet to take them to the one spot they were so accustomed to before and after every mission – the memorial grounds. When he arrived at the cemetery, he was surprised to see Kohana knelt down in front of Rin's headstone. Her shoulders moved slowly and Kakashi stepped to the side to get a better view.

The headstone was hardly recognizable – it was adorned in flowers of every color and it shone as if it had been polished recently. He felt shame shoot down his spine as he realized he had neglected taking care of Rin's final resting spot. He rubbed his hair and stood silently behind Kohana as she arranged the bouquets.

"You're back", Kohana finally said after looking behind her shoulder.

"Hai" Kakashi replied simply.

Kohana asked casually, "The others got back before you."

Kakashi answered carefully, "I met with Jiraya-sama. He's doing well." Kakashi reached into his pocket and took out the letter. "Here, he wanted me to give this to you."

Kohana took the note and she whispered quietly, "That's good. Thank you."

Kakashi crouched down next to her and offered his prayers quietly. Kohana sighed, "It's been years. But, sometimes, it feels like it's just yesterday that we all met."

Kakashi smiled, and picked up a red rose, "Hai. Do you remember when Obito gave Rin a boquet of red roses? He stole your money to buy them. You were quite upset with him."

Kohana laughed, "It was my money. He could have used his own."

Kakashi grinned back at her and pulled her up. They now stood facing each other and Kohana suddenly felt self conscious as she remembered how they parted before his mission.

They walked back towards the village each absorbed in their own thoughts. Kakashi finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry, Kohana. I shouldn't have spoken to you so rudely. I was stressed, and I took that out on you."

Kohana muttered, "It's fine. It was my mistake. I can't stop you from doing your job and I should have realized that this particular mission was more personal than the others. I was scared that you wouldn't come back. After Asuma.." Kohana trailed off. She didn't want to think about Asuma now.

"How is Kurenai?" Kakakshi inquired.

"Fine, I guess. She's only four months along."

"Hmm", Kakashi said, "We'll be one Jonin short."

Kohana asked, "Is that a problem?"

"No, I think we'll manage. I'll just have to stick close to Naruto from now on."

Kohana nodded firmly, "Of course. We'll take care of him." She stopped in front of the bookstore, and said, "I have work. Will I see you later tonight?"

Kakashi smirked, "That depends if you still want to continue training with me?"

"Yes!", Kohana said a little too enthusiastically. She then composed herself and added, "If you have time. I don't want to disturb you."

Kakashi laughed, "I'll see you later then." Kohana grinned and walked into the bookstore, grabbing her vest of the wall.

She paused when she heard Kakashi call her name. "Kohana?"

"Yes?"

"It's funny when you run. If you miss me that much, maybe you should accompany me on my missions. Just not the homicidal ones."

Kohana flushed and closed the door on him unable to stop the burst of giggles that escaped from her lips.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Hello Readers! Thank you all for reading this story and being my faithful followers! I hope this chapter is to your taste because something big happens at the end! Please review, follow and favorite. Love you all!

Chapter 32: I'll Always Love You

Kohana returned home early that night. Work was slow, and sales were dry.

She caught Mr. Hoshimata grumbling, "Only if another Icha Icha book would come out. Seems like that's the only thing people are interested in these days."

Kohana laughed silently. Maybe she could ask her father if he had time to publish another novel. She realized that she had never confronted him about his writing passion. Her mind returned to the long letter that he had written for her. He had first expressed his condolences about Asuma, but after this sad note, the rest of the letter betrayed no hint of concern or trepidation. Jiraya was a master at putting on a happy, jovial face regardless of the situation. But, Kohana knew better and wondered how long it would be before she could catch another short glimpse of him. He assured her that he would be back soon and as usual asked her to stay safe. She felt a pang of guilt as she recalled his exact words.

 _I know you are angry at my decision to abort your training. However, I hope that you won't begrudge me for too long. Your Kekkai Genkai is invaluable, of course. At the same time, it makes you a target and with everything that is bound to happen in the future, I can't afford to put you in danger. This will be difficult for you, but it's best if you lie low. I hope you understand._

She shook her head rapidly and muttered to herself. 'It's not like I'm blatantly showing everyone about what I can do. Plus, Kakashi thinks it's a good to practice.' The image of the silver haired jonin brought a blush to her cheeks as she smiled giddily.

* * *

Much to Kohana's surprise, Kakashi had brought Naruto along. The boisterous 16 year old seemed just as confused as her.

Kakashi explained while plopping down onto the mahogany couch.

"I couldn't leave him alone for too long. He'll need to know, Kohana."

Kohana regarded Naruto carefully. She had known him for only year, but this was a kid she could trust with her life. She wasn't worried about revealing her secret to Naruto, but mostly about the repercussions that might follow. How much more trouble would they get in especially since Tsunade and Jiraya were taking the most cautious measures to keep her out of harms way? And was it worth risking their trust in Kakashi?

Kakakshi saw Kohana's hesitation. He sighed, took off his vest and leaned back, letting his arm drape across the back of his seat, as he spoke, "I can't keep an eye on both of you, Kohana, if you're going to be in different places. This is the only way to do this."

Kohana was momentarily flustered as she took in his position. His muscles strained against his black shirt and Kohana's mouth felt dry. She saw Naruto sit down next to him but her gaze remained transfixed on her crush. She had realized that this was her first time seeing the renowned Jonin without his signature green vest. The padded material hid his built body well.

Kakashi peered at her concernedly when she didn't speak for a few minutes. "Are you alright?"

Kohana jumped, and stuttered, "O-o-f course, I'm fine." She took a composed breath and talked, forcing herself to look at his masked face, "That's fine, Kakashi. I know you've probably thought this through anyway. I don't mind letting Naruto in on the secret."

Naruto asked curiously, "Secret?"

Kakashi nodded to Kohana and went on to explain to his student. When Kakashi finished, Naruto was staring at Kohana in shock. He exclaimed, "Kohana-nee-chan, you're amazing!"

Kohana blushed, "A-ano, Naruto. This is nothing compared to what you can do."

Naruto shook his head, "You shouldn't dismiss yourself like that, nee-chan. I'm glad you're not listening to Ero-senin or baa-chan on this." He then growled, punching his fist, "If anyone comes near you, they'll have to get through me."

Kohana laughed and ruffled Naruto's hair, "Why, that's sweet of you Naruto. I'm sure they'll be thrown off with everything you've learned so far."

Naruto was about to answer when Kakashi cut him off. "Mah, mah, that's enough talking for now. Kohana, let's see how far you've gotten."

"Hai", Kohana said, as she sat down with crossed legs. She closed her eyes and focused on her various chakra points.

She heard Kakashi comment sternly to Naruto. "Rest, Naruto. You've overexerted yourself already."

Naruto grumbled something indistinctly. Kohana giggled lightly.

"Focus, Kohana", Kakashi chided.

"Gomen", Kohana muttered.

Two hours went by quickly, and Kohana's training session ended when Naruto flopped down on the couch drowning the room with his snores and incessant mumblings about Ramen.

Kakashi stated almost apologetically, "He fell asleep. I don't believe he'll wake anytime soon."

"That's no problem. He can sleep here tonight. I'll grab a few blankets and a pillow for him."

Kohana ushered herself to a spare closet and came back with orange and blue cover with a matching pillow. Kakashi lifted Naruto's head gently as Kohana tucked him in.

She stepped back smiling wistfully at the scene, "He looks so much like Minato-sensei."

Kakashi nodded, his hand deep in his pocket, "Hai. Even after all these years, it's still a shocking reminder of who he is."

"Does he know, Kakashi?" Kohana asked sadly as she watched Naruto's chest heave up and down rhythmically.

"No."

"You never thought to tell him?"

"I don't want him to hate his father."

"W-what?" Kohana asked surprised by his response.

"Kohana, despite the situation, regardless of the reasoning, the Yondaime made his own son into a Jinchuuriki. Naruto continues to suffer from that choice. I can imagine what he would think of Minato-sensei if he knew and all the questions he would have. I don't have the answers to them."

Kohana bit her lips, "This world is messed up. They should have been a happy family. But, they were ripped apart."

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, and said, "It's a harsh reality." He suddenly winced as he pulled his arm back down.

Kohana saw a small red streak run down his skin. "Kakashi", she exclaimed, "You're bleeding."

"Ah, don't worry. The stitches must have gotten undone. I do them myself, and I must admit I'm not very good at it."

"Then you should have gone to the hospital!"

She grabbed him and forced him to sit down at the dining table. She pushed up his sleeves and winced herself when she saw the damage.

Kakashi gently pushed her hand away, "This is not my first time getting injured. I know what to do."

Kohana glared daggers at him and snapped, "I don't think so, Kakashi. I think you have an aversion to hospitals." Her tone softened, "Let me try something."

Kakashi asked unsurely, withdrawing his arm, "What are you planning?"

"My chakra – you said it has healing properties. Maybe it can heal this."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. He smiled and extended his arm again, " Alright. I'm curious too. Go ahead."

Kohana smiled widely and projected a small amount of chakra into her hand letting it seep through the pores on her fingers. "Oh", she exclaimed, "I didn't think it would be blue!"

She placed her hand gently on his wound and watched in wonder as his skin absorbed her chakra. The cut healed itself slowly and closed the sutures. Kakashi flexed his arm comfortably, and noticed that his stitches had also dissolved.

"Hmm, it's not too different from medical ninjutsu", Kohana remarked casually.

"No, now, it's not. I imagine though it's much more potent than medical chakra. It's certainly faster. Arigatou, Kohana." Kakashi said as he stood up and stretched. Kohana averted her eyes again trying to focus on anything but his ripped muscles.

Kakashi picked up his vest that Naruto had unceremoniously pushed to the ground. He dusted it off before asking, " What's for dinner?"

Kohana smirked, "Making me cook again?"

Kakashi cocked his head to the side and gave his famous one eyed smile, "Don't blame me, Kohana. Your food is rather delicious."

Kohana laughed and headed for the kitchen before calling out to him, "Make yourself comfortable."

* * *

Kohana made enough food for three and kept a serving aside in a hot box for Naruto. Kakashi inhaled deeply as Kohana served him a plate, "It smells good, Kohana."

Kohana flashed him a smile and dug into her own food quietly. They ate in silence, the only sound being the chopsticks that clashed against their bowls. Kakashi had again finished in lightning speed without once letting Kohana catch a glimpse of his face. Kohana marveled at his ability to hide his facial features even during tasks like eating.

She finally set her bowl down wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Kakashi was once more immersed in Icha Icha. The yellow cover stared back at her relentlessly and she delineated the outline of a man chasing after a woman in a floral outfit with a bouquet of flowers. The closeness of the two individuals sparked Kohana's memory and she frowned at the reminder.

"Kakashi", she called out hesitantly, "do you remember what you said to me on the day of Asuma's funeral?" She winced lightly.

Kakashi's eyes darkened at the mention of his late comrade. He raised an eyebrow asking Kohana to continue.

"You said that this is the pain love can bring. Why did you say that?"

Kakashi remained silent for a long time. He seemed deep in thought. Kohana waited patiently for him though eager to hear his response.

He finally spoke, "You and I have seen our fair share of death. These are the people who we failed to save, whose lives were taken by the hands of those who don't value life. The loss is painful. It seems worth it to keep people at distance just to avoid that pain."

Kohana stared open-mouthed at him. She had thought that after all these years Kakashi would have moved on and accepted the deaths of his friends. He had instead chosen a route that was far worse than dealing with loss. Yet, she felt a feeling of relief seep through her and the trepidation that often accompanied her attempts to declare herself vanished. Because she now knew what was holding Kakashi back, and what she had to fight against. Kakashi had been through a lot and that too at a morbidly young age– his father's suicide, best friends death, and Minato's sacrifice instilled a fear of loss within him that Kohana now promised to dispel.

She put on a bright smile and walked around to Kakashi's side. She knelt down so that she was at his height and palmed his face before pressing her lips firmly on his cheek.

Kakashi's face burned and he stuttered, "K-kohana!"

Kohana ignored him and leaned her forehead against the crook of his neck wrapping both arms around him.

She spoke in a whisper, inhaling his scent, "Kakashi-kun, you're not entirely wrong. Losing someone you love hurts beyond our imagination, but denying it is worse."

She took a deep breath, tightened her grip and kissed his neck lightly, "I know this because I love you and the mere thought of letting you walk away crushes me. I don't know how you feel about me. But, no matter what, I will always keep loving you."

With that, she released her hold quickly and stepped back giving Kakashi some room. The jonin seemed at a loss of words and was staring at Kohana with wide eyes.

Kohana shyly smiled back and said softly, "You don't have to say anything Kakashi-kun. It's getting late anyway. We should go to sleep. You're welcome to use my guest bedroom."

She quickly cleared the table and turned the light off in the living room after leaving a glass of water for Naruto. She escaped to her bedroom and fell face first onto her pillow trying to verbally suppress the happiness that coursed through her.


End file.
